I 



MEMOIR 



O F 



THE LIFE AND TIMES 



OF THE 



EEY. ISAAC BACKUS, A. M. 



B T 



ALVAH HOVEY, D.D. 



PROFESSOR OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY IN NEWTON 
THEOEOGICAL INSTITUTION. 




BOSTON: 



GOULD AND LINCOLN, 

59WASHINQTON STREET. 

NEW YORK: SHELDON, BLAKEMAN & CO. 

CINCINNATI ; GEORGE S. BLANCHARD. 

1859. 



^ 






^ 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by 

GOULD AND LINCOLN, 

In the Clerk's Ofl&ce of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



ELECTROTYPKD AXD PRINTED 
BT TT. F. DRAPER, AXDOVEE, MASS. 



TO THE 

REV. BARNAS SEARS, D.D.,LL.D. 

"WHOSE 

INSTRUCTIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, 

AND WHOSE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT WHEN MOST 

NEEDED, WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN,* 

AND 

• TO THE REV. SILAS HALL, 

THE 
RESULTS OF WHOSE CAREFUL EXAMINATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF 

THE BACKUS PAPERS, AS WELL AS OF MUCH ADDITIONAL LABOR, 

HAVE BEEN GENEROUSLY BESTOWED,* 

%\h maxk 

IS GRATEFULLY INSCRIBED. 

BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



PREFACE. 



More than four years have passed since the writer was requested, 
by the councillors of the Backus Historical Society, to prepare for 
the press a new edition of the Ecclesiastical History of New Eng- 
land, by the Rev. Isaac Backus, Several considerations, some of 
which may be specified, led him to attempt a compliance with this 
request. 

It seemed quite possible for one who was entrusted with the de- 
partment of Church History in this Institution, to perform such a 
task, not only without detriment to his special work, but even with 
some prospect of advantage, as it would prepare him, partially at 
least, to satisfy a desire which had been expressed by friends of 
Newton, that the history of baptized Christians in modern times 
might enter more largely into the course of instruction. 

And further, it seemed desirable that a new edition of the history 
mentioned above should be published with all convenient despatch, 
inasmuch as it had become very rare and almost inaccessible, while 
at the same time it was of great value, both as a storehouse of im- 
portant facts not elsewhere preserved, and as a record of sentiments 
worthy of attention at the present day. It was felt that it would be 
a great oversight in the Baptist denomination to suffer this memorial 
of their New England fathers to perish, and that the time which 
might be consumed in preparing a new edition would be wisely 
spent in the Master's service. 

It also seemed reasonable to expect that the publication of this 
valuable history would serve to awaken a deeper and more general 

1* 



VI PREFACE. 

interest in the society which had given it afresh to the public. And 
the cooperation of a large number was looked upon as indispens- 
able to success in carrying out the purposes of the society, and thus 
securing the objects for which it was formed. These objects, it is 
generally known, were two ; first, to collect, so far as possible, and 
preserve at some accessible point, the materials which still exist for 
a history of the Baptist denomination, especially in New England ; 
and, secondly, to secure from time to time the publication of such 
monographs or more general works as might be deemed of present 
interest and permanent value. 

The object first named was understood to be of paramount im- 
portance and to demand immediate attention. Many documents 
were believed to be still in existence, which are necessary to eluci- 
date the history of the denomination, and which, unless systematic 
efforts were made to collect and preserve them, must speedily and 
inevitably perish. Pamphlets, addresses and periodicals, centennial, 
semi-centennial and funeral discourses, minutes of conventions, asso- 
ciations and councils, manuscript sermons, journals, and records of 
extinct churches, in short a great variety of papers, unpublished as 
well as published, which were written by Christians. of a former age, 
are still preserved in the older Baptist dwellings, which, if brought 
together and properly arranged, would be invaluable to every stu- 
dent of the past. It is only, however, by gathering them together 
and thus uniting and blending their scattered rays of light, that they 
can avail to illuminate the darkness of an earlier period. Sepa- 
rately their light is too feeble and uncertain to guide the explorer's 
steps. Hence the wisdom of immediate and systematic efforts to 
obtain and deposit in a suitable place these frail and diminishing 
but precious records. To secure the cooperation of their brethren 
throughout New England in accomplishing this primary object of 
the society, it was deemed advisable by the Board of Councillors to 
undertake at once a new edition of Backus's History. It was at the 
same time proposed that this new edition be introduced by some 



PREFACE. VII 

account of the Life and Times of Isaac Backus ; and the fruit of 
this proposal is the present volume. 

By way of apology for the late appearance of this volume, the 
wnter desires to say that the preparation of it has involved a much 
larger amount of historical investigation than was anticipated at the 
outset ; and that a change in his sphere of labor in the Institution, 
made soon after he undertook the present work, has diminished very 
greatly the amount of time which he could devote to it. 

If the following pages do not give so favorable an account of 
churches of the standing order, during the last century, as might 
have been expected from the high character of Congregationalists 
as a body at the present day, it should be borne in mind that the 
regular churches of that period comprised certain heterogeneous ele- 
ments which have since parted asunder and become two very dis- 
tinct if not antagonistic bodies. It should also be remembered that 
the presence in the community of a growing denomination which 
insists upon a credible profession of faith as prerequisite to church 
membership, must have had a powerful tendency to bring every 
other evangelical denomination to insist upon the same thing. And, 
finally, it should be noted, that, owing to peculiar circumstances, 
Mr. Backus was led to expose the errors and defects of the standing 
order more frequently, perhaps, than to commend the right prin- 
ciples maintained or illustrated by it. 

Should it be thought that undue prominence has been given in 
this volume to the question of religious liberty, or that it is unwise 
to perpetuate the remembrance of wrongs which have passed away 
forever, it may be answered that no more prominence has been 
given to the subject specified than was necessary in order to afford 
the reader a true idea of Mr. Backus and his life; and that the 
spirit of religious oppression is not so thoroughly eradicated from the 
hearts of men as to relieve thoughtful observers of all apprehension 
as to the future. Is it not customary even now to excuse or justify 
the fathers of Massachusetts by saying : " they simply expelled from 



Vni PREFACE. 

their commonwealth those who stubbornly refused to comply with 
requisitions which they deemed essential ? " and by adding : *' they 
were a voluntary association, and had certainly a right to prescribe 
the rules of their own society ? " Just as if men have a right to 
bind themselves under civil pains and penalties not to receive any 
more light from the Word of God ! and not to relinquish any error 
which they now ignorantly hold I Or as if they have a right to 
bind their own children, under pain of banishment, to believe just 
what they beUeve ! or to dispossess their neighbor of his property 
and home because his conscience will no longer permit him to en- 
dorse their views of God's truth ! While such opinions are advo- 
cated by intelligent and influential men, liberty of conscience, and 
the relation of ci\dl government to the Church of Christ, cannot be 
properly understood. 

It remains for the writer to express his gratitude to those who 
have assisted him in this work; and in particular to the Rev. 
Frederick Denison, of Norwich, Connecticut, for examining and 
transcribing important records preserved in that place, both at the 
Backus homestead and elsewhere : to the Rev. SUas Hall, who gen- 
erously placed in the wi-iter's hands the results of his protracted 
study of the Backus papers, and at the same time communicated 
his early impressions and recollections of the subject of this narra- 
tive ; and to one whose name he is not permitted to mention, but 
without whose aid in transcribing nearly the whole work, its publi- 
cation must have been indefinitely postponed. 

May the Head of the Church accept this memorial of one who 
recognized His authority and loved His service, and make it a 

blessing to Zion ! 

A. H. 
Kewton Theological In'stitution, 
October 18, 1858. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

MOULDING INI-LUENCES. 

SILENCE OP CHRISTIANS AS TO THEIR LIFE BEFORE CONVERSION. — NO AC- 
COUNT OF THE EARLY LIFE OF MR. BACKUS. — BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR SUCH 
AN ACCOUNT. — CONGREGATIONALISM OF THE PLANTERS OF CONNECTICUT. — 
CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. — CONNECTION OF CHURCH AND STATE. — TENDENCY 
TO PRESBYTERIANISM. — SAYBROOK PLATFORM. — GENERAL ADOPTION OF 
IT. — REJECTION OF IT IN NORWICH. — CHARACTER OF MR. BACKUS'S 
GRANDFATHER. — OF HIS GRANDMOTHER. — OF HIS FATHER. — OF HIS 
MOTHER. — EXTRACTS FROM HER LETTERS.— HIS LITERARY EDUCATION IN 
YOUTH , , . 17 



CHAPTER II. 

CONVERSION. 



DECLENSION OP RELIGION PREVIOUS TO THE GREAT AWAKENING. —REVIVAL 
AT NORTHAMPTON UNDER THE PREACHING OF EDWARDS. — FIRST LABORS OF 
WHITEFIELD IN NEW ENGLAND. — EXTENT OF THE GREAT AWAKENING. — 
KIND OF PREACHING BLESSED. — GENUINENESS OF THE WORK NOTWITH- 
STANDING IMPRUDENCES. — MR. BACKUS'S ACCOUNT OF HIS OWN CONVICTION 
AND CONVERSION 33 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER III. 

BACKUS A SEPARATIST. 

STATE OF THE "REGULAR CHURCH" OP NORWICH. — MR. BACKUS RELUCT- 
ANTLY JOINS IT. — SEPARATES FROM IT WITH OTHERS. — REASONS FOR SO 
DOING AND FOR THE SEPARATE MOVEMENT GENERALLY: 1. RECEPTION OF 
UNCONVERTED PERSONS INTO THE REGULAR CHURCHES; 2. NEGLECT OF DIS- 
CIPLINE ; 3. ADOPTION OF THE SAYBROOK PLATFORM ; 4. UNSATISFACTORY 
PREACHING. — COURSE OF DR. LORD. — ANECDOTE OF DR. BALDWIN AND DR. 
LORD. — INTERVIEW BETWEEN REV. IVORY HOVEY AND MR. BACKUS.— LET- 
TER OF MR. HILL TO DR. LORD 41 

CHAPTER IV. 

CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 

UNCONVERTED MINISTERS OF THE STANDING ORDER. — PERSONAL PIETY 
AND AN INWARD CALL NOT ESTEEMED INDISPENSABLE. — VIEWS OF DR. 
CHAUNCEY. — OF THE MINISTERS OF CONNECTICUT. — A LIBERAL EDUCATION 
DEEMED INDISPENSABLE. — REMARKS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS. —REASONS 
FOR TENACITY ON THIS POINT. — OPPOSITE VIEWS MAINTAINED BY THE 
NEW-LIGHTS. —MR. BACKUS'S ACCOUNT OF HIS CALL TO THE MINISTRY. — HIS 

' SERMON ON THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF AN INTERNAL CALL. . 55 

CHAPTER Y. 

ITINERANT PREACHING AND SETTLEMENT. 

MR. BACKUS BEGINS TO PREACH. — HIS DOUBTS RESPECTING HIS CALL. — 
VISITS TITICUT WITH MR. SNOW. — IS MOVED TO LABOR THERE. — DESCRIP- 
TION OP TITICUT. — ECCLESIASTICAL PARTIES IN THE PLACE. — MR. BACKUS 
IS INVITED TO PREACH THERE FOR A TIME BY THE PRECINCT COMMITTEE. — 
FORMATION OF A NEW-LIGHT CHURCH. — MR. BACKUS ORDAINED ITS PAS- 
TOR. — EI8 TREATMENT BY THE PRECINCT COMMITTEE 65 



CONTENTS. XI 

CHAPTER VI. 

EARLY PASTORSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS WORK. —USEFULNESS IN TITIOUT. — EXTRACTS FROM 
HIS JOURNAL. — LABORS AS AN EVANGELIST. — EXTRACTS FROM MEMORANDA 
OF PREACHING TOURS. — LETTER FROM MR. LEFFINGWELL. — EXTRACTS FROM 
MEMORANDA CONTINUED. —PARISH LINES DISREGARDED. —MARRIAGE. — 
ACCOUNT OF THE WEDDING. 72 



CHAPTER YII. 

CHANGE OP BELIEF RESPECTING BAPTISM. 

DECLENSION IN TITICUT. — BAPTIST TENDENCIES OF THE SEPARATES. — DI- 
VISION RESPECTING BAPTISM IN THE TITICUT CHURCH. — MR. BACKUS PER- 
PLEXED. — HASTILY PREACHES IN FAVOR OF BELIEVERS' BAPTISM. — RE- 
LAPSES INTO HIS FORMER BELIEF. — JOURNEY TO NORWICH. — RETRACTS THE 
VIEWS OF HIS SERMON ON BAPTISM.— SECESSION OF CERTAIN BAPTIZED MEM- 
BERS FROM HIS CHURCH. — TRIES IN VAIN TO EXCLUDE THE PAINFUL 
TOPIC FROM HIS MIND. — EXTRACTS FROM HIS JOURNAL. — HIS REFLEC- 
TIONS ON INFANT BAPTISM. — DAY OF FASTING, PRAYER, AND INVESTIGA- 
TION.— FINDS NO AUTHORITY IN THE WORD OF GOD FOR INFANT BAPTISM. 
— IS BAPTIZED. 82 



CHAPTER VIII. 

COUNCIL UPON COUNCIL. 

POSTURE OP MR. BACKUS. — IS CENSURED WITH OTHERS BY THE FIRST COUN- 
CIL.— VISITS NORWICH. — RETURNS HOME AND IS RESTORED TO OFFICE. — 
TWO OPPOSING BRETHREN ARE ADMONISHED BY THE CHURCH. — A SECOND 
COUNCIL ADMONISHES THESE TWO BRETHREN, AND THEN THE CHURCH. — 



XII CONTENTS. 

EFFORTS TO KESTORE PEACE, — A THIRD (EX PARTE) COTTNCIL CENSURES 301. 
BACKUS AlfD JUSTIFIES THE TWO BRETHREN. — REMARKS ON THIS ACTION. 
MR. BACKUS EXCLUDED PROM THE CHURCH. — HIS LETTER TO THE SAME 
ON INFANT BAPTISM. — VISITS 8TURBRIDQE; CONDITION OF THAT CHURCH; 
COUNCIL THERE. — OPPRESSION IN NORWICH. — FOURTH COUNCIL IN TITICUT. 
— GENERAL MEETING OF NEW-LIGHTS IN EXETER, R. I. — FIFTH COUNCIL IN 
TITICUT. — GENERAL CONVENTION AT STONINGTON, CT. — PROCEEDINGS. — 
RESULT 94 



CHAPTER IX. 

BACKUS BECOMES A REGULAR BAPTIST. 

EFFORTS TO LIVE IN PEACE. — FAILURE. — MR. BACKUS REVIEWS THE QUES- 
TION OF COMMUNION —FINDS THE ARGUMENTS OF BUNYAN INCONCLUSIVE. 

— RELINQUISHES OPEN COMMUNION. — FORMATION OP THE FIRST BAPTIST 
CHURCH, MIDDLEBORO'. — EXTRACTS FROM HIS MEMORANDA OP PREACHING 
TOURS; (1.) TO CAPE COD. — ORDINATION OF MR. CHASE. — (2.) TO SOUTHERN 
NEW HAMPSHIRE. — LETTER TO MR. CHASE. — (3.) TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD. 

— (4.) TO THE CAPE. — (5.) TO DURHAM, N. H. ..... 114 



CHAPTER X. 

JOY IN SERVICE. 

SETTLED BELIEF. — ABUNDANT LABORS. — MEMORANDA OF PREACHING TOURS; 
1. TO NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE; 2. TO 
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT; 3. TO NORWICH THRICE; 4. 
TO THE CAPE. — LETTERS OP MR. BACKUS TO HIS MOTHER; 1. SPECIAL VIEWS 
OF TRUTH; 2. COMPORT IN AFFLICTION; 3. CONCEALED PIETY; 4, SECOND 
BAPTIST CHURCH IN MIDDLEBORO' GATHERED; 5. SIGNS OF A REVIVAL. — 
LETTER TO REV. BENJAMIN WALLIN; 1. MISTAKES OP THE PLANTERS OF 
NEW ENGLAND; 2. MINISTERIAL EDUCATION; 3. NOTICE OF THE GREAT 
AWAKENING; 4. REVIVALS. 129 



CONTENTS. XIII 

CHAPTER XI. 

LEGISLATION FOR THE CHURCH. 

REASONS FOR DESCRIBING MR. BACKTJS'S EFFORTS FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 

— SKETCH OF EARLIER LEGISLATION FOR THE CHURCH DESIRABLE. — PAR- 
TICULAR LAWS. — ROGER WILLIAMS BANISHED. — LAWS AGAINST QUAKERS. 

— OTHER LAWS. — CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. — MALDEN CHURCH FINED. — OBA- 
DIAH HOLMES WHIPPED. — LAWS AGAINST QUAKERS. — FOUR EXECUTED.— 
APOLOGY FOR THIS ACT. — BAPTIST MEETING IN BOSTON. — DECLENSION IN 
PIETY. —THE NEW CHARTER. — BAPTISTS TAXED UNTIL 1728- — ACTS OF 
EXEMPTION PASSED, IN 1728. — IN 1729.— IN 1734. — IN 1740. — IN 1747.— IN 1753. 

— IN 1757 144 



CHAPTER XII, 

WIDER INFLUENCE* 

DISCOURSE, THE BOND WOMAN AND THE FREE. — LETTER TO DR. LORD OP NOR- 
WICH. —WAR ADVERSE TO PIETY. — DISCOURSE ON THE DUTY OF FAMILY 
PRAYER. — DISCOURSE, TRUE FAITH WILL PRODUCE GOOD WORKS, AGAINST 
8ANDEMANIANISM.— FOUNDING OF RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE. — LETTER TO 
OILL. — IS A TRUSTEE OF THE COLLEGE THIRTY-FOUR YEARS. — FORMATION 
OF THE WARREN ASSOCIATION. — ITS USEFULNESS. . . . . 157 



QHAPTER XIII. 

EFFORTS FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 

DESIGN OF THIS PART OF OUR NARRATIVE. — COMMITTEE OF GRIEVANCES AP- 
POINTED BY THE WARREN ASSOCIATION. — THEIR ADVERTISEMENT. — REV. 
JOHN DAVIS CHOSEN AGENT. —HIS LETTER TO MORGAN EDWARDS. — PETI- 
TION TO THE GENERAL COURT. — NEW CERTIFICATE LAW UNSATISFACTORY. 
— TREATMENT OF MR. DAVIS. — OPPRESSION IN MONTAGUE, IN CHELMSFORD 
AND IN BRADFORD. — LETTER OF MR. BACKUS TO A MEMBER OF THE AS- 
SEMBLY. — EXTRACTS FROM THE SAME. — CHARACTER AND DEATH OF MR. 
DAVIS 173 

2 



XIV CONTENTS, 

CHAPTER XIY. 

BACKUS AS AGENT. 

HIS APPOINTMENT. — CIRCULAR TO THE CHURCHES. — LETTER TO DR. STEN- 
NET, OF LONDON. — NOTICE OF MR. DAVIS. — MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION. 
— ITS ACTION IN RESPECT TO GIVING CERTIFICATES. ^APPEAL TO THE 
PUBLIC FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. — LETTER TO SAMUEL ADAMS. — BAPTISTS 
OF WARWICK IMPRISONED. — PETITION FOR THEIR RELEASE. — EXTRACT 
PROM A LETTER TO BENJAMIN WALLIN 188 



CHAPTER XV. 

VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA. 

MEETING OF THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. — BACKUS'S NOTE OF INTRO- 
DUCTION TO IT.— HIS JOURNEY TO PHILADELPHIA. — CONSULTATION WITH 
FRIENDS. — PHILADELPHIA ASSOCIATION APPOINTS A COMMITTEE OF GRIEV- 
ANCES. —MEETING AT CARPENTERS' HALL. — MEMORIAL OF THE BAPTISTS; 
1. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM; 2. GRANTED TO ALL PROTESTANTS BY THE NEW 
charter; 3. EXEMPTION LAWS UNSATISFACTORY; 4. THE LIBERTY DE- 
SIRED. — COLLOQUY ; REMARKS OF JOHN ADAMS, SAMUEL ADAMS, R. T. 
PAINE, MR. CUSHING, AND MR. BACKUS. — ACTION OF THE PHILADELPHIA 
COMMITTEE. — PROMISE OF THE DELEGATES FROM MASSACHUSETTS. . 201 



CHAPTER XVI. 

SHARP CONTROVERSY. 

OBJECT OF BACKUS'S VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA MISREPRESENTED. — ADDRESS 
TO THE CONGRESS OF MASSACHUSETTS; TAXATION AND REPRESENTATION; 
CHURCH ^D state; COERCION FOR THE SUPPORT OF RELIGION; OBJECT 
OF BACKUS IN GOING TO PHILADELPHIA; OPPRESSION IN ASHFIELD, MON 
TAGUE, AND GORHAM ; DEMANDS OF THE BAPTISTS. — LETTER OP DR. 
SMITH ON ITS RECEPTION. — RESOLVE OF THE CONGRESS. — LETTER FROM 
THE PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE. — REPLY OF BACKUS. — MEMORIAL TO 
THE GENERAL COURT. — RECEPTION OF IT. —DR. FLETCHER'S LETTER.— 
ADDRESS TO CHRISTIANS 214 



CONTENTS. XV 

CHAPTER XVII. 

THE BILL OF RIGHTS. 

ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OP NEW ENQLAKD. — DRAFT OP A STATE CONSTI- 
TUTION. — PROTEST AGAINST THE SAME — PATSON'S SERMON. — BACKtJS'S 
PAPER ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ; CHAUNCEY AGAINST ESTABLISHMENTS ; 
PRINCIPLES NOT PENCE; CHAUNCEY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT; INCONSIST- 
ENCY. — STILLMAN'S SERMON. — CONVENTION; PLEAS FOR THE THIRD AR- 
TICLE OP THE BILL OP RIGHTS. — BACKUS'S REPLY TO THEM. — COERCION 
IN BRIDGEWATER. — PROTEST AGAINST THE THIRD ARTICLE OF THE BILL 
OP RIGHTS. — CONSTITUTION ADOPTED. — CIRCULAR TO THE CHURCHES. 232 

# t 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

LIBERTY SECURED AT LAST. 

DECISION AT TAUNTON, THE OLD LAWS NO LONGER IN FORCE. — LETTER TO 
A BROTHER IN LONDON. — CASE OP WEST CAMBRIDGE. — PROPRIETY OP 
RECOGNIZING CIVIL AUTHORITY IN RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS.— A NEAV LAW, 
RETROGRADE. — LETTER TO GEORGE WASHINGTON. — LETTER TO MR. RIP- 
PON; DEATH OP PRESIDENT MANNING; PARTIAL HISTORY; RELIGIOUS 
PROSPERITY. — LETTER TO MRS. DRAPER; PROGRESS OP BAPTIST PRINCI- 
PLES; HUMAN WICKEDNESS; HOPE IN GOD. — LETTER TO WILLIAM RICH- 
ARDS. — INSTANCES OP OPPRESSION. — CHANGE OP PUBLIC SENTIMENT. — 
FREEDOM SECURED AT LAST 245 



CHAPTER XIX. 

MINISTERIAL AND HISTORICAL LABORS. 

BACKUS'S USEFULNESS AS A PASTOR. —REVIVAL IN 1780. —EXTRACTS FROM 
MR. BACKUS'S JOURNAL. — RESTRICTED COMMUNION. — ITINERANT PREACH- 

f ING. — JOURNEY TO VIRGINIA; REFLECTIONS AT SEA; A PIOUS NEGRO; 

\ QUERIES PROPOSED TO A BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN VIRGINIA. -TREAT- 
MENT OP THEM. — BACKUS AS A COUNSELLOR. — ANECDOTE BY REV. SILAS 
HALL. — HISTORY OP THE SOUTH BRIMFIELD CHURCH; BACKUS'S LETTER 
TO THIS CHURCH. — HIS LABORS AS A HISTORIAN. . . . . 266 



XVI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XX. 

LETTERS FROM CORRESPONDENTS. 

CHARACTER OP THESE LETTERS. — 1. FROM JOB MACOMBER, DESCRIBING A 
PREACHING TOUR IN MAINE. — 2. FROM JEDEDIAH HEBBARD, COMMEND- 
ING MR. BURROUGHS, OP HANOVER, N. H.— 3. PROM THE SAME; EXTRACT, 
NOTICING THE PERPLEXITY OP SOME AS TO THE CHURCH RELATION OP 
BAPTIZED CHILDREN. —4. PROM THOMAS BALDWIN, REFERRING TO THE 
DOUBTS OP SOME, IN RESPECT TO THE GROUND OP CHRISTIAN FELLOW- 
SHIP. — 5. FROM JOB SEAMANS, DESCRIBING A REVIV^AL IN NEW LONDON, 
N. H. — 6. FROM ELEAZAR CLAY, SPEAKING OP RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN 
VIRGINIA. — 7. FROM WILLIAM ROGERS, ON OPPRESSION IN MASSACHU- 
SETTS, ETC. — 8. FROM HENRY TOLAR, ON THE GREAT REVIVAL IN THE 
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY — 9. FROM JOSHUA BEADLEY, ON THE RELIGIOUS 
INTEREST IN NEWPORT, R. I. — 10. FROM JOSEPH CORNELL, ON A REVIVAL 
IN PROVIDENCE. — 11. FROM JOHN BOLLES, CONCERNING THE GROWTH OP 
THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION. — EXTRACTS FROM BACKUS'S JOURNAL, AT 
THE CLOSE, RESPECTIVELY, OF 1782, '83, '84, '85, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, "27, '99, 1800, 
1801, '2, '3, '4 o . . ,282 



CHAPTER XXI. 

CHARACTER OP BACKUS. 

MR. BACKUS'S FAMILY. — DEATH OP HIS WIPE. — DEATH OP HIS DAUGHTER 
SIBEL. — HIS OWN DEATH. — EPITAPH. — TESTIMONY OP DR. BALDWIN.— 
BACKUS'S REMARKABLE DILIGENCE. —HIS STERLING SENSE. — HIS ARDENT 
PIETY— HIS POSITION AND INFLUENCE 307 



APPENDIXES. 

APPENDIX A. OPPRESSION IN Sturbridge, 329 

APPENDIX B. Confession op Faith and Covenant, 334 

APl'ENDIX C. Sandemanianism, 340 

APPENDIX D. Extracts prom Minutes of Warren Association, 342 

APPENDIX E. Petition from Ashpield, 346 

APPENDIX F. Account op Philadelphia Conference, 349 

APPENDIX G. Doctrinal Correspondence with Pres. Maxcy, , . 352 



LIFE im TIMES OF ISAAC BACKUS. 



CHAPTER I. 

MOULDING INFLUENCES. 

SILENCE OP CHRISTIANS AS TO THEIR LIFE BEFORE CONVERSION. — NO AC- 
COUNT OP THE EARLY LIFE OF MR. BACKUS. —BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR SUCH 
AN ACCOUNT. — CONGREGATIONALISM OP THE PLANTERS OP CONNECTICUT. — 
CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. — CONNECTION OP CHURCH AND STATE — TENDENCY 
TO PRESBYTERIANISM. — SAYBROOK PLATFORM. — GENERAL ADOPTION OP 
IT. — REJECTION OP IT IN NORWICH. — CHARACTER OP MR. BACKUS'S GRAND- 
FATHER. — OP HIS GRANDMOTHER. — OP HIS FATHER. — OP HIS MOTHER. — 
EXTRACTS PROM HER LETTERS. — HIS LITERARY EDUCATION IN YOUTH. 

Many of the early Christians looked npon their exist- 
ence j)rior to conversion as unworthy of being called life, 
and spoke of the time which brought them into fellow- 
ship with Christ by His Spirit as the day of their birth. 
When therefore for any reason they gave a biographical 
account of themselves or of others, very little attention 
was paid to that which preceded their reception of Christ. 
" Whence shall I begin," inquires Pontius^ in his life of 
Cyprian^ " but from the dawn of his faith and from his 
celestial life ? " The Confessions of Augustine are an im- 
portant exception to our statement ; and the flood of light 
Avhich they pour upon Lis own character and upon the 

2* 



18 LACKUS's EARLY LIFE. 

age in which he lived awakens deep regret at the mistake 
of others in consigning their early history to oblivion. 

But this mistake was not confined to the primitive 
Christians. Not a few servants of Jesus since that pe- 
riod have pursued the same course. They have been led 
by a sense of the sovereign mercy of God to leave be- 
hind them some memorial of His grace to their souls, 
but they have forborne, for wise reasons it may be, to 
magnify the riches of that grace, as did Bunyan, by re- 
counting the sins of their youth. An illustration is be- 
fore us. John Leland begins a sketch of his own life in 
the following words : " Volumes might be written upon 
the wanderings, darkness and errors of my life, which 
would afford no pleasure to others in hearing thereof, 
and to relate which would be of no advantage to me; 
therefore, I shall pass them by, and attend only to a 
few of God's gracious and notable dealings with me, a 
great sinner, in my ministerial labors." 

Unfortunately for the interest of our present work, 
Isaac Backus treated his early life with almost equal 
neglect. It will therefore be impossible for us to give 
any particular account of his childhood and youth. But 
in place of this, and as the best substitute for it, we shall 
endeavor to describe the community and family in which 
this formative period of his life was passed. It will be 
evident, we think, from this description, that the influen- 
ces of friends and home in the morning of life were so 
ordered by the God of providence as to aid in preparing 
him for the work of later years. The social and domestic 
atmosphere which surrounded him in youth, conspired, 
with the natural gifts which he possessed, and with the 
renewing grace of God, to qualify him for the arduous and 
peculiar labors which he rendered to the cause of truth. 



EARLY CONGREGATIONALISM IK CONNECTICUT. 19 

The churches of Connecticut were originally congrega- 
tional in their polity. " They maintained that the right 
of choosing and settling their ministers, of exercising dis- 
cipline and performing all judicial acts, was in the church, 
when properly organized ; and they denied all external 
or foreign power of presbyteries, synods, general councils 
or assemblies."^ Ordination was regarded "as no more 
than putting the pastor elect into office, or a solemn re- 
commending of him and his labors to the blessing of God. 
* * * It was the general opinion, that elders ought to 
lay on hands in ordination, if there were a presbytery 
in the church, but if there were not, the church might 
appoint some other elders or a number of the brethren 
to that service.^ Moreover the earliest ministers of Con- 
necticut "at first maintained, that all the pastor's office- 
IDoVer was confined to his own church and congregation, 
and that the administering of baptism and the Lord's Sup- 
per in other churches was irregular."^ So careful were 
they at first to guard against the introduction of presby- 
terianism or prelacy, against any proper dependence of 
one church upon another! 

Accordingly, when Mr. James Fitch was ordained at 
Saybrook in 1646, "although Mr. Hooker was present, 
hands were imposed by two or three of the princij^al 
brethren, whom the church had appointed to that ser- 
vice." ^ This account is given by Trumbull as " the tra- 
dition." It is however confirmed by the recorded action 
of the church when his successor was ordained. "A 
council of ministers and churches assisted at his ordina- 
tion, but the imposition of hands was performed by the 

1 Trumbull, History of Conn. I., p. 284. 

2 Trumbull, I., p. 283, compare Cambridge Platform, c. 9. 
s Trumbull, I., p. 283, compare Cambridge Tlatform, c. 9. 
4 Trumbull, I., p. 286. 



20 CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. 

brethren, as it had been before in the ordination of Mr. 
Fitch. The council considered it an irregular j^roceeding, 
but the brethren were so tenacious of what they esteemed 
their right, that it could not be prevented without much 
inconvenience."^ This occurred in 16G0, Avhen Mr. Fitch, 
with a majority of his church and congregation, removed 
from Saybrook and planted the town of Norwich. " Three 
or four planters joined them from K'ew London, and two 
or three from the towns of Plymouth and Mansfield in 
Massachusetts." 

The first settlers of Norwich were, therefore, beyond a 
doubt, zealous advocates of the Cambridge Platform and 
of the congregational polity. They believed every true 
church to be of right an independent body ; and during 
the ministry of Mr. Fitch their convictions on this point 
were undisturbed. 

But even in the Cambridge Platform princij)les were 
laid down inconsistent with the independence of the 
churches. For this document affirms, that "the end of 
the magistrate's office is not only the quiet and j^eace- 
able life of the subject in matters of righteousness and 
honesty, but also in matters of godliness, yea, of all godli- 
ness y " and again, " neither is their power to be exercised 
in commanding such acts of the outward man, and punish- 
ing the neglect thereof, as are but mere inventions and 
devices of men ; but such acts as are commanded and for- 
bidden in the Word ; yea, such as the Word doth clearly 
determine, though not always clearly to the judgment of 
the magistrate or others, yet clearly in itself. In these 
he of right ought to put forth his authority, though oft- 
times actually he doth it not." Idolatry, blasphemy, 
heresy^ and the like, are then sjDecified as things to be 

1 Trumbull, I., p. 286. 



CONNECTION OF CHURCH AND STATE. 21 

restrained and punished by civil authority, and it is said : 
''If any church, one or more, shall grow schismatical^ 
rendhig itself from the coinmunion of other churches^ or 
shall walk incorrigibly or obstinately in any corrupt way 
of their own, contrary to the rule of the Word ; in such 
case the magistrate is to put forth his coercive power, as 
the matter shall require." This language evidently claims 
for the standing order of churches in New England the 
same support from the civil power which in other lands 
is claimed for the papal church by the Romish hierarchy. 
It assigns the duty of preventing any important deviation 
from the faith or j^^actice of the established churches to 
the civil power, and calls upon this power to bring here- 
tics back into the fold even by coercion. This was in 
reality, though not formally and directly, subjecting every 
particular church to the authority and control of other 
churches ; and it was doing this, not with spiritual but 
with carnal weapons. 

To the control of other churches, we say ; because, in 
Massachusetts, when this Platform was ado^^ted, none 
but church members were allowed to participate in the 
civil government ; and hence it must be presumed that 
the majority of electors, being at the same time the ma- 
jority of church members, were able to put men in office 
whose views of ecclesiastical orthodoxy were identical 
with their own. Thus each particular church was liable 
to coercion from a power originated by the great body of 
churches and representing their judgment. Vox populi 
vox Dei ; the voice of the people of God, or rather of 
tlie major part of them, was to be enforced by pains and 
penalties as the voice of God. 

A similar connection between Cliurch and State existed 
in Connecticut. In their ori<xinal constitution the citizens 



22 CONNECTION OF CHUECH AND STATE, 

of this Commonwealth say : " We * * * do, for ourselves 
and our successors, and such as shall be adjoined to us at 
any time hereafter, enter into combination and confedera- 
tion together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and 
pmity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, which we now 
profess, as also the discipline of the churches^ which^ accord- 
ing to the truth of said Gospel^ is 7ioid practised amongst 
us^'' etc.; and they inserted a provision, "that the gov- 
ernor be always a member of some approved congrega- 
tion," or, according to the interpretation of Trumbull, "a 
member of some regular church," and a "regular church," 
it is well known, was a church of the "standing order." 
Moreover, it was early enacted, " that no i:)ersons within 
this colony, shall in any wise embody themselves into 
church estate, TvHlthout consent of the General Court, and 
approbation of neighboring elders," and we are told by the 
historian of Connecticut that "the General Court would 
not suffer any j^lantation to be made, which would not 
support an able, orthodox preacher." ^ 

But the spirit and determination with which a peoiDle 
will assert their own religious fi-eedom cannot always be 
measured by the degree of freedom which they possess, 
much less by the degree of freedom which they concede to 
differing consciences. This statement is illustrated by the 
ecclesiastical history of Korwich. In 1699, John Wood- 
ward succeeded Mr. Fitch as pastor of the church and 
people of this town. For several years harmony prevailed 
between the new pastor and his flock. But in 1708, the 
Legislature of Connecticut passed an act, requiring the 
ministers of the several counties in that colony to meet 
together at their respective county towns, with such mes- 
sengers as their churches should see cause to send with 

1 Trumbull, I., p. 387. 



THE SAYBROOK PLATFORM. 23 

them, to consider and agree* upon a form of ecclesiastical 
discipline ; also, to appoint two or more of their number 
as delegates to meet at Saybrook, and by comparing the 
results of the county meetings draw up a form of discipline 
for the churches, to be presented to the General Court and 
confirmed by the same. This was accordingly done ; and 
Mr. Woodward was appointed one of the delegates from 
New London county. He appears to have been a hearty 
friend and supporter of the scheme. 

Sixteen delegates — twelve ministers and four laymen — 
met at the place designated on the 9th of September 1708, 
and adopted the articles of discipline commonly known as 
the Saybrook Platform. These articles were promptly 
communicated to the Legislature, and in October 1708, 
were approved and established by the same ; yet with the 
following proviso, " that nothing herein shall be intended 
or construed to hinder or prevent any society or church 
that is or shall be allowed by the laws of this government, 
who soberly differ or dissent from the united churches 
hereby established, from exercising worship and discipline, 
in their own way according to their consciences." " Mr. 
John Woodward, then minister of Norwich," says Isaac 
Backus, " soon got and read off to his congregation the 
first part of this act, but without the proviso. Richard 
Bushnel and Joseph Backus, esquires, who had opposed 
that scheme in the assembly, informed their church of the 
liberty they had to dissent from it ; but the minister car- 
ried a major vote against them ; therefore, those represen- 
tatives, and other fathers of the town, withdrew * * * * 
and held worship by themselves for three months. For 
this the minister and his party censured them ; an account 
of which being sent to the next meeting of the assembly 
they were expelled therefrom. * * * * But not long after 



-4 31R. LORD PLEDGED TO THE CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. 

the Norwich minister had censured their representatives, 
he consented to refer the matter to a council ; and they 
followed it with council after council for about six years. 
Governor Saltonstall came there himself upon one of those 
occasions, and Mr. Stoddard of Northampton was modera- 
tor of the last but one of those councils. * * * * At last, 
by advice of a coimcil that met August 31st 1716, said 
minister was dismissed ; and the church in Norwich deter- 
mined to abide upon its ancient foundation. * * * * The 
church in East "Windsor, under the care of Mr. Timothy 
Edwards, father of Mr. Jonathan, also refused to receive 
the Saybrook Platform.*' 

It appears from the events just recited that the inhabi- 
tants of Norwich were distinguished for their adhesion to 
pure Congregationalism. While the churches generally 
accepted without hesitation the Saybrook Platform, the 
leading membei-s of the church in Norwich resisted its 
acceptance with a persistent and successful resolution. By 
a formal agreement, Mr. Lord, the successor of Mr. Wood- 
ward, pledged himself at the time of his settlement to 
adhere to the Cambridge Platform, and peace was thereby 
restored to the church. And it is reasonable to presume 
that the long and serious contest between Mr. Woodward 
and some of his people made the whole community famil- 
iar with questions of church polity, and filled the social 
atmosphere with the spirit of ecclesiastical independence. 

Having ascertained the ecclesiastical views and spirit of 
the people generally with whom Isaac Backus spent the 
early yeai*s of his life, we may now approach the narrower 
circle composed of his relatives, and examine the princi- 
ples of those who had a more direct and controlling influ- 
ence over his vouthful mind. It will be found that his 
course in manhood was in no smaU degree the result of his 



CHARACTER OE BACKUS'S GRANDPARENTS. 25 

training in boyhood, that his character through life was 
the ever ripening fruit of seed planted in his mind when a 
child. From the atmosphere of piety and freedom which 
pervaded the home of his youth he inhaled the spirit 
which animated him to the hour of death. 

Joseph Backus, the grandfather of Isaac, was a leading 
man in the town. Besides being a Justice of the Peace, 
an officer of much dignity at that time, he was for several 
years a rej^resentative of Norwich in the Legislature of 
Connecticut. We have already mentioned his opposition 
to the Saybrook Platform in that body, and likewise his 
expulsion from it, because he had withdrawn with others 
from the church in Norwich when it accepted the Plat- 
form. This, however, did not abate his zeal. So anxious 
was he to have the church resume its former position and 
maintain the principles of Congregationalism, that he made 
a journey to Ipswich in Massachusetts, for the purpose of 
consulting with Mr. John Wise, minister of that place ; for 
not long before Mr. Wise had written a keen and convinc- 
ing answer to proposals for an ecclesiastical constitution in 
Massachusetts somewhat similar to that which had now 
been established in Connecticut. He desired Mr. Wise to 
publish a new edition of his answer, but the latter did not 
at that time see fit to comply with the request. Mr. 
Backus also visited the two Mathers in Boston, whose 
views upon the question at issue agreed with his own. He 
seems, indeed, from the brief notices which remain of him, 
to have been a genuine lover of " the old paths," an able 
and energetic defender of the congregational j^olity, a 
man of deep, radical convictions which governed his action 
and made him Avilling to suffer loss for tlie sake of Cln-ist 
and His truth. The tone and sjDirit of such a man are a 

3 



26 CHARACTER OF HIS PARENTS. 

legacy to his offspring, and not unfrequently do they trans- 
mit themselves to the third or fourth generation. 

His wife, the grandmother of Isaac, was altogether 
worthy of her companion. A woman of truly Puritanic 
energy and devotion, she survived her husband many years, 
living to a very advanced age, and is often mentioned in 
the journals of Isaac Backus, sometimes with admiration 
and always with great respect. A few of these references 
will be cited in the progress of our narrative. 

Mr. John Tracy, grandfather of Isaac on his mother's 
side, '' was a man eminent for vital and practical religion. 
He was strict in the religious education of his family ; for 
which, we are told, his daughter was ever thankful as long 
as she lived." Indirectly through her he may be said to 
have participated in the early training of Isaac ; but only 
thus, for in 1726, Avhen the latter was but two years of 
age, he died, "w^ith such comfortable views of another 
world, it is said, that he charged his friends to give him up 
and not hold him any longer by their prayers." ^ 

Samuel Backus, the father of Isaac, was a quiet, enter- 
prising farmer, prosperous in his own business, but having 
little to do with public affairs. He Avas an affectionate 
husband and kind father ; but he made no profession of 
religion until 1736, four years previous to his death. It 
must therefore be presumed that his influence as a Christian 
upon the minds of his children was limited to this brief 
jDcriod. We find no evident allusions to it, in distinction 
from that of his wife, in the writings of his son. 

The mother of Isaac Backus was, in the truest and higli- 
est sense of the expression, an excellent Avoman. Often 
does he speak of her in terms of deep respect and love. 
With special satisfaction does he dwell upon the fruits of 

1 Backus. Gospel Comfort for Mourners, p. 19. 



NOTICES OF HIS MOTHER. 27 

genuine piety which appeared in her life. In a sermon 
occasioned by her death he calls her " my dear godly 
mother ; " and there is ample reason for the belief that she 
was worthy of such a designation. In order therefore to 
imderstand the christian influences pervading the domestic 
circle in which the early years of Isaac were passed, it will 
be necessary for us to exhibit more fully the character of 
his mother. This shall be done, for the most part, in her 
own language or in that of her son. 

She was received into the regular church of Norwich 
in 1720, and sometime in the following year was, by the 
grace of God^ made a living member of the household of 
faith.i 

" She has often," says her son, " mentioned to her children 
a work of conviction and conversion which she experienced 
in the year 1721." From this time forward she manifested 
a tender solicitude for the spiritual welfare of her family, 
and illustrated in some good degree by her life the power 
of vital godliness. After the death of her husband in 1740, 
her christian character seems to have matured very rapidly. 
By the blessing of God, aflliction bore fruit in sanctification. 
The following words which she wrote some time after the 
death of Mr. Backus will confirm the statement just made. 
" And now some months after this, having examined my 
case often, and comparing the case of my soul now with 
what it had been in months past, I could freely say from 
my heart, I could not be willing to be again in that sleepy 
state of soul towards God and the things that concern my 
everlasting peace, no, not to be in the most prosperous 
condition in temporal things that ever I was in, all my life. 
Now I can say, I hunger and thirst after the Word, it is 

1 Dcnison. Historical Notes, p. 41. Compare Gospel Comfort, etc. p. 10. 



28 EXTRACTS FROM HER LETTERS. 

the delight of my soul." The subjoined extracts from her 
correspondence with the subject of this work after his set- 
tlement in Middleboro' will reveal the exercises of her mind 
and the depth of her rehgious experience. 

"Jan. 11, 1748, The Lord hath sweetly comforted and 
quickened my soul from time to time ; I have had many 
sweet love-feasts. The Lord hath brought me into his 
banqueting house, and His banner over me was love." 

"Oct. 21, 1748. The last Sabbath was a day much to be 
remembered. Your grandmother almost left the body. 
As to my own case, I have had a more abiding sense of 
the uncertainty of visible things and of the certainty of 
invisible things." 

"March 26, 1750. My dear Son: I long you should 
hear of and rejoice wdth us in the work of God amongst 
us. It began the fore part of February, and for three 
weeks or more it was as great a time of conviction as I 
ever saw. Great flocking to hear the Gospel ; meetings 
every day, especially among the children at our end of the 
town ; sundry of them converted, some backsliders came 
home, and such adoring free grace, such calls and invita- 
tions to sinners, as make the town shake. * * * J 
remember my love in Jesus to the saints- in the house 
where you live, and to all that little flock.^' 

The following letter has been often published, but the 
present sketch would be imperfect Avithout it. 

"Norwich, Nov. 4, 1752. My dear Son; I have heard 
something of the trials amongst you of late, and I was 
grieved till I had strength to give u]) the case to God, and 
leave my burden there. And now I would tell you some- 
thing of our trials. Your brother Samuel lay in prison 
tw^enty days. October 15th, the collectors came to our 



HEK IMPEISONMENT. 29 

house, and took me away to prison, about nine o'clock, in 
a dark, rainy night. Brothers Hill and Sabins were 
brought there the next night. We lay in prison thirteen 
days, and were then set at liberty, by what means I know 
not. Whilst I was there a great many people came to see 
me, and some said one thing and some said another. Oh 
the innumerable snares and temptations that beset me! 
more than I ever thought of before. But oh, the conde- 
scension of Heaven! though I was bound when I was 
•cast into this furnace, yet I was loosed and found Jesus in 
the midst of a furnace with me. Oh, then I could give up 
my name, estate, family, life and breath freely to God. 
Xow the prison looked like a palace to me. I could bless 
God for all the laughs and scoffs made at me. Oh the love 
that flowed out to all mankind ; then I could forgive as 
I would desire to be forgiven, and love my neighbor as 
myself. Deacon Griswold w^as put in prison the 8th of 
October; and yesterday old brother Grover, and [they] 
are in pursuit of others, all which calls for humiliation. 
This church has appointed the loth of November to be 
spent in prayer and fasting on that account. I do remem- 
ber my love to you and your w^ife, and the dear children 
of God with you, begging your j)rayers for us in such a 
day of trial. We are all in tolerable health, expecting to 
see you. These from your loving mother, 

Elizabeth Backus." 

The Ilev. F. Denison, of Norwich, mentions the follow- 
ing particulars respecting Mrs. Backus, when she was 
taken by the collectors for rates due to Mr. Lord, pastor of 
tlie regular church.^ " She was sick, and, thickly wrapped 

1 A fuUcr account of this matter wiU be found further on. 
3* 



30 EXTRACTS CONTINUED. 

in clothes to produce persj)iration, snt near the fire by 
her stand, reading the family Bible. The officer thought 
that, under the circumstances, she would yield and pay 
the rates. But Mrs. Backus was not the Avoman to aban- 
don her religious principles." ^ 

"March 20, 1754. Last Friday I was brought to a 
stand and made to see the awfulness of trifling away time. 
* ♦ * And noAV I saw that a Christian cannot enjoy God 
and live in conformity to the world. * * * Oh that I 
might improve my time Avell ! " 

"June 15, 1754. I am still in the furnace, Avave after 
wave rolling over me ; and my God is graciously sujiport- 
ing, teaching and comforting my soul from time to time in 
the midst of my various trials. Blessed be his name ! 
The cause of Zion lies near my heart, but there is hoj^e in 
God, that is able to deliver." 

"March 6, 1757. I am waiting for my great and last 
change. Scarce one day hath past for some months Avith- 
out some realizing sense of death and eternity. And 
though I am so full of sin, Jesus hath come over the 
mountains and spake peace to my soul." 

"March 21, 1754. I tell you I am quite sick of myself, 
the more I am acquainted Avith my heart. But oh, hoAv 
good is my Lord to me, Avho does many a time sj^eak a 
Avord to my soul that giA^es it a lift Avith a a^cav of the 
stability of the covenant of His faithfulness and loving- 
kindness, and the SAveetness of His kingly j^ower in sub- 
duing us to himself Praised be his name ! " 

And Isaac Backus says of his mother: "When He 
(Christ) granted a glorious Adsitation of his spiritual pres- 
ence to this land, in the year 1741, it Avas as Avelcome and 

1 Historical Notes, p. 28. Compare Bacltus's ''A Fish caught in his 
own ]S[et/' p. 21. 



II 



FRAGMENT 01^ AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 31 

joyful a season to her as His personal company was to 
Elizabeth of old. Oh, how freely did she speak of the 
wonders of redeeming grace to her children and others 
around. And I believe very few have lived with more 
constant devotedness to God than she has ever since." 
In his sermon occasioned by her death, he remarks : "Did 
I say loss ? Must I not retract the expression ? For we 
are not wont to call our weary friends lost, when they are 
got to rest in a quiet sleep ; and none sleep so quietly as 
those who sleep in Jesus. They have done their work 
and are receiving their reward, have fought the good fight 
and are shouting the glorious victory. And shall we 
begrudge them their happiness ? Rather let us congratu- 
late their safe arrival to the realms of i^eace." 

Our account of the family in which the childhood and 
youth of Isaac Backus were spent, may be fitly closed by 
the following passage from an imperfect sketch of his 
life, written by himself, when more than eighty years 
old. " My mother sprang from the family of Mr. Winslow, 
who came over to Plymouth in 1620, and my father from 
one of the first planters in Norwich in Connecticut in 
1660. My father, Samuel Backus, was born in Norwich, 
Jan. 6, 1693, and Elizabeth Tracy, my mother, on April 6, 
1698; and they were married, January 18, 1716. Both 
they and their parents were members of the first church 
in Norwich, and trained up their children in the nurture 
and admonition of the Lord. I was born there January 
9, 1724, and was well educated in the christian religion 
and also in the principles of civil liberty." 

The literary advantages of Mr. Backus in early life were 
limited to the public schools of his native place. In these 
he learned the use of figures, became a ready penman, 
and acquired some knowledge of his native language. 



32 BACKUS'S LITERARY CULTURE. 

Without brilliant parts, he possessed a good understand- 
ing, and became an accurate scholar in the branches of 
study which engaged his attention. Whether he acquired 
a taste for reading at this period we have not been able to 
ascertain, but even in youth, it is manifest he formed his 
mind to habits of careful observation and reflection, which 
were of great service to him in later years. 

It is, however, for many reasons, to be regretted that his 
literary culture was so defective, since he possessed a 
natural taste for composition and was called, by Divine 
Providence, not only to take part in the ministry of recon- 
ciliation, but also to put on record a portion of the history 
of God's people. He was fully aware of this defect and 
made persevering efforts to remedy it. These efforts were 
in part successful ; and if nevertheless in his best produc- 
tions, there are few graces of style to attract the reader, 
the simplicity, perspicuity, integrity and manliness, which 
reveal themselves in every line, more than compensate for 
the lack of lio-hter attractions. 



CHAPTER II. 

CONVERSION. 

DECLENSION OF RELIGION PREVIOUS TO THE GREAT AWAKENING. — REVIVAL 
AT NORTHAMPTON UNDER THE PREACHING OP EDWARDS. — FIRST LABORS OF 
WHITEFIELD IN NEW ENGLAND. — EXTENT OF THE GREAT AWAKENING. — 
KIND OF PREACHING BLESSED. — GENUINENESS OF THE WORK NOTWITH- 
STANDING IMPRUDENCES. —MR. BACKUS'S ACCOUNT OF HIS OWN CONVICTION 
AND CONVERSION. 

Me. Backus refers the most important event of his life 
to a very interesting period in the history of New Eng- 
land, the time of the Great Awakening. Previous to this 
Awakening there had been a sad declension. Many per- 
sons had been educated for the ministry and had under- 
taken to perform its sacred duties while strangers to renew- 
ing grace, and therefore in many places the peculiar and 
efficacious truths of Christianity had been imperfectly 
taught or entirely overlooked. "We have long," says 
Jonathan Edwards, " been in a strange stupor; the influ- 
ences of the Spirit of God upon the heart have been but 
little felt, and the nature of them but little taught." "No 
seriofts Christian," writes another, " could behold it with- 
out a heavy heart, and scarce without a weeping eye, — to 
see the solid, substantial piety, for which our ancestors were 
justly renowned, having long languished under sore de- 
cays, brought so low, and seemingly just ready to expire 
and give up the ghost." 

It must, however, be remarked, as an evidence of remain- 



34 REVIVAL AT NORTHAMPTON. 

ing life, that Christians were deeply conscious of the stu- 
por and coldness complained of. There were, moreover, 
during this period, several local revivals which served to 
awaken a general desire in the hearts of believers for a 
" time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." The 
" Narrative of Surprising Conversions," prepared by Jona- 
than Edwards, and giving an account of the glorious work 
of God at Northampton, in 1734, did much to spread and 
strengthen this desire. In the spring of 1735, before the 
publication of this narrative, two ministers of Connecticut, 
namely, Mr. Lord of Norwich, and Mr. Owen of Groton, 
had visited that place, " that they might see, and hear, and 
form a judgment for themselves. They conversed with 
Mr. Edwards, and with many of the i:)eople, to their great 
satisfaction. They declared that the work exceeded all 
which had been told, or that could be told. On their 
return, they reported what they had heard and seen, to 
their own people, on whom it had a great effect. It 
appeared to be a means of beginning a similar work in 
Norwich, which in a short time became general."^ In 
many other places the people of God were refreshed by 
his presence, and throughout New England there seems 
to have been a growing desire on the part of Christians 
for a genuine revival. 

It is not therefore strange that good men in Boston, 
" where religion was at a very low ebb," heard with pecu- 
liar interest of Whitefield's success as a preacher of the 
Gospel in the soutliern colonies and in his native land, and 
sent him earnest invitations to visit New England. Sailing 
from Charleston, South Carolina, in answer to their call, he 
landed at Newport, Rhode Island, on the fourteenth day of 
September, 1740, and at once began his labors. Thousands 

1 Trumbull, II. 141. 



WHITEFIELD IN CONNECTICUT. 35 

hung upon his words ; and these words were accompanied 
by "the demonstration of the Spirit and of power." From 
Newport he proceeded to Boston, where he remained 
about ten days, and preached the truth to multitudes with 
astonishing effect. From that city he extended his jour- 
ney eastward to York, Maine, finding everywhere on his 
way eager listeners to the word of life. Retracing his 
steps, he labored once more a short time in Boston, and 
then directing his course toward the west, he visited Ed- 
wards in Northampton. Passing thence through Connec- 
ticut, he preached in a large number of towns, and the 
power of God was signally manifested in turning sinners 
unto Himself. Meanwhile, revivals commenced in many 
places which he was unable to visit. Religion became the 
principal topic of conversation. Faithful pastors redoubled 
their efforts and urged upon the attention of their hearers 
with unwonted zeal the most affecting and pungent truths 
of revelation. Godly persons were encouraged by the 
remarkable success of the Gospel, to pray with more confi- 
dence for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon them- 
selves and their friends. Many, too, of the ungodly were 
led to believe that the present was their only day of grace. 
Trumbull, in his history of Connecticut, after describing 
at length the peculiarities of this religious awakening, thus 
proceeds: "Notwithstanding the imreasonable and power- 
ful opposition made to the work of God at this time, and 
all the clamor which was made about errors and disorders, 
it was the most glorious and extensive revival of religion, 
and reformation of manners, which this country ever ex- 
perienced. It is estimated that in the term of two or 
three years thirty or forty thousand souls were born into 
the family of heaven in New England."^ There has never, 

1 Trumbull, [I., p. 203. 



36 EFFECTS OF DOCTRINAL PREACHING. 

probably, been a time since the settlement of N'ew Eng- 
land, wlien the minds of her peoj^le Avere so generally and 
so intensely directed to the characteristic doctrines of 
Christianity. The j^^reaching of such men as Edwards and 
Bellamy and Whitefield and Tennant and Wheelock and 
Pomeroy, was in the main Calvinistic and highly discrim- 
inating. It led to self-examination and deep conviction 
of sin. The law was exhibited in all its breadth and spirit- 
uality, until the unconverted hearer felt himself to be a 
guilty " sinner in the hands of an angry God." Salvation 
was declared to be a free gift, an effect of sovereign, elect- 
ing, infinite love. 

These doctrines are very repugnant to the natural heart, 
and can be received by those only who understand the 
exceeding sinfulness of sin. Yet they take strong hold of 
the awakened mind, and when applied by the Holy Spirit, 
lead it into the j)i'esence of God and fill it with peace 
and strength indescribable. Under the influence of such 
preaching the transition from death to life was often 
strongly marked. "As their convictions were powerful, 
and their distress, in some instances, almost intolerable; 
so their light and joys, on a change of heart, were unusually 
great. They appeared to rejoice with joy unspeakable and 
full of glory." ^ Sometimes the overpowering emotions of 
the soul produced strange agitations in the body. Yet 
these bodily changes were not regarded as proofs of in- 
ward grace; they were deprecated rather than desired. 
Still, by the friends of the revival they were neither as- 
cribed to Satanic agency nor thought to be inconsistent 
with the gracious operations of God's Spirit. Jonathan 
Edwards refers to imprudences and sinful irregularities, to 
transports and ecstasies, to eiTors in judgment and indis- 

1 Tmmhull, XL, p. 142. 



BACKUS'S CONVICTION OF SlJST. 87 

creet zeal, to outcries and faintings and agitations of body, 
but he nevertheless finds the clearest indications of a work 
of God, even in the hearts of some who were thus carried 
away by the strength of their emotions. And after a care- 
ful examination of the evidence, few will dissent from his 
opinion. 

In the great awakening which we have briefly noticed, 
Backus was brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. 
He had no opportunity to hear either Whitefield or Ten- 
nent, but the revival which attended their labors, " reached 
Norwich in 1741, under the preaching of Dr. Wheelock 
and others." '' This work," says Mr. Backus, " was so 
powerful, and people in general were so ignorant, that they 
had little government of their passions. Many cried out 
and fell down in meetings. But I had so much doctrinal 
knowledge, that I never was overcome in that manner. 
Neither could I put off my concern, as I had done before, 
for a more convenient season. No, though I was in good 
health, I saw that life was forfeited by sin, and that God 
had a right to take it away in a moment. I saw also that 
He had now given me an opportunity to repent and turn 
to Him, and that, if it was neglected, I was lost for eter- 
nity. Time was then taken out of the way, and a vast 
eternity was directly before me, without any hope of ever 
having another day of grace, should this be neglected. 
This moved me to the earnest use of all the means, public 
or private, within my reach, that I might get a good heart 
to come to Christ with. For all the sound teaching with 
which I had been favored had given me no higher ideas 
than that a good disposition of mind was necessary in order 
to come to Christ for salvation. But all the awakening 
preaching that I now heard, and all the books which I read, 
were so far from producing any such disposition, that my 

4 



38 HIS MENTAL DISTRESS. 

heart seemed to grow worse and worse daily ; and I saw 
seeds of all the evils of the world in me. While others 
were crying out and falling down in distress, I felt like a 
stupid beast before God ; and nothing was more terrible to 
me than the fear of losing my convictions and being left of 
God to a hard heart and reprobate mind ; for I fully be- 
lieved that now was my only time to obtain salvation, that 
I should never have another day of grace. Neither could 
I bear to be deceived with a false hope. When a minister 
once stated a case like mine, and then said to his hearers : 
" If this be your case, be not discouraged, but see if God 
does not appear speedily for your help," I was powerfully 
tempted to cast off my concern and to hope for help here- 
after. But this api^eared plainly to come from the adver- 
sary, and it increased my distress. Again, one morning 
these words came into my mind like an audible voice, 
"Thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven." But my 
soul was alarmed thereby, through fear of being settled 
down in something short of a union with Christ, and this 
alarm made me cry out to Him for help. 

"In the beginning of August, Mr. James Davenport came 
to ISTorwich, where he was met by Doctors Wheelock and 
Pomeroy, and meetings were held incessantly for three 
days. People were greatly affected and many hopefully 
converted, while I grew worse and worse in my own view. 
Powerful preaching, and the sight of many in distress or 
joy, while I remained a hardened sinner, caused such an- 
guish as words cannot express. Yet hereby God laid open 
to me the plague of my own heart and the folly of seeking 
life by my own doings. My tears were dried up, and I 
could find no good in me. Instead of this I felt inclined to 
quarrel with the sovereignty and justice of God, and the 
freeness of his grace, a grace so fi'ee that he was not obliged 



<*< 



HIS CONVERSION. 39 

to have mercy upon me after all my doings. A sight of 
these corruptions increased my distress and filled me with 
confusion before God. And as I believed this to be my 
last opportunity, and my convictions seemed to be going 
off, and the work of God to be abating among us, how 
awful did my case appear! But God's thoughts are as 
high above our thoughts as the heavens are above the 
earth ; for He thus drew me off from all trust in myself or 
any creature, and led me to embrace salvation in His own 
way. 

''As I was mowing alone in the field, August 24th, 1741, 
all my past life was opened j)lainly before me, and I saw 
clearly that it had been filled up with sin. I went and sat 
down in the shade of a tree, where my prayers and tears, 
my hearing the Word of God and striving for a better 
heart, with all my other doings, were set before me in such 
a light that I perceived I could never make myself better, 
should I live ever so long. Divine justice appeared clear in 
my condemnation, and I saw that God had a right to do 
with me as he would. My soul yielded all into His hands, 
fell at His feet, and was silent and calm before Him. And 
while I sat there, I was enabled by divine light to see the 
perfect righteousness of Christ and the freeness and riches 
of His grace, with such clearness, that my soul was drawn 
forth to trust in Him for salvation. And I wondered that 
others did not also come to Him who had enough for all. 
Tlie "Word of God and the promises of His grace appeared 
firmer than a rock, and I was astonished at my previous 
unbelief My heavy burden was gone, tormenting fears 
were fled, and my joy was unspeakable. 

"Yet this change was so different from my former ideas 
of conversion, that for above two days I had no thought of 
having experienced it. Then I heard a sermon read which 



40 JOY AND DESPONDENCY. 

gave the characters of the children of God, and I had an 
inward witness that those characters were wrought in me ; 
such as a spirit of prayer, a hatred of sin, an overcoming 
of the world, love to the brethren, and love to enemies ; 
and I conclude that I then had the sealings of the Spirit of 
God, that I was a child of His. New ideas and dispositions 
were given me ; the worship and service of God and obedi- 
ence to His will were the delight of my soul. I found such 
happiness therein as I never had in all the vanities of the 
world ; and this I have often experienced since." 

Mr. Backus then proceeds to sj)eak of those alternations 
of spiritual joy and despondency, to which every Christian 
is peculiarly subject in the beginning of his course. He 
observes, that although darkness at times overspread his 
mind, he was unable to revive his former terrors ; although 
doubts in respect to his piety w^ere experienced, he sought 
in vain to recover his previous state of conviction. He 
attributes his depression and distress to a want of watchful- 
ness and to a neglect of known duty. 



CHAPTER III. 



BACKUS A SEPARATIST. 

STATE OF THE " HEGULAR CHURCH" OP NORWICH.— MR. BACKUS RELUCT- 
ANTLY JOINS IT. — SEPARATES PROM IT WITH OTHERS. — REASONS POR SO 
DOING AND POR THE SEPARATE MOVEMENT GENERALLY: 1. RECEPTION OP 
UNCONVERTED PERSONS INTO THE REGULAR CHURCHES; 2. NEGLECT OP DIS- 
CIPLINE; 3. ADOPTION OP THE SAYBROOK PLATPORM; 4. UNSATISFACTORY 
PREACHING. — COURSE OP DR. LORD. — ANECDOTE OP DR. BALDWIN AND DR. 
LORD.— INTERVIEW BETWEEN REV. IVORY HOVEY AND MR. BACKUS. — LET- 
TER OP MR. HILL TO DR. LORD. 

Mr. Backus early thought of uniting with the church 
in his native place, but was prevented for a time by ob- 
serving that neither clue care was exercised in receiving 
members nor proper faithfulness to those who were in the 
church. The same laxity had been common and was still 
far too prevalent. Referring to the period between 1735 
and 1740, Trumbull remarks: "It does not appear that 
ministers in general, at that time, made any particular 
inquiry of those whom they admitted to communion, with 
respect to their internal feelings and exercises. The Stod- 
dardean opinion generally prevailed, that unregenerate 
men could consistently covenant with God, and when 
moral in their lives, had a right to sealing ordinances." ^ 
It is plain that Mr. Lord, pastor of the church in Nor- 
wich, agreed with tlie majority of his brethren ; for in 
1744 he "obtained a major vote to admit members into 

iTmmb. II. p. 113. 

4* 



42 JOINS THE CHURCH AT NORWICH. 

the church without so much as a written account of any 
change of heart." ^ The scruples and delay of Backus 
were not therefore unreasonable. But at length, after 
ten months, wishing to " enjoy the precious ordinance 
of the supper," and finding no better way to secure this 
privilege, he "joined the First Congregational Church in 
Norwich, July 11, 1742 ; concluding to bear those things 
as a burden and to hope for a reformation." 

But his connection with this church did not long con- 
tinue. If there was at first any prospect of the reforma- 
tion for which he hoped, it grew fainter and fainter. The 
burden which he undertook to bear was gradually in- 
creased ; and therefore in the beginning of 1745, soon 
after the vote, to which allusion has been made, was 
passed, Mr. Backus and many other persons^ withdrew 

1 This vote was as follows : " Though it is esteemed a desirable thing 
that persons who come into full communion offer some public relation of 
their experience; yet we do not judge nor hold it a term of commun- 
ion." (Records of the First Congregationalist church in Norwich.) In 
his reply to Mr. Fish, written in 1768, Mr. Backus says : *' I never knew 
an instance in my day, of any who were admitted into those churches 
(of the standing order), by declaring personally the faith wrought in their 
souls ; and a great part of them have now di'opt even giving written re- 
lations." (p. 18.) 

2 " A large part of the first church in Norwich drew off from said min- 
ister and met for worship in another place." — Backus. " Thirt}^ male 
members, including one deacon, and a large number of females, left the 
Old Standing Church at about the same time. Others soon* followed. 
Among these were some of the most wealthy and influential men in the 
town. The Separatists and their friends finally out-voted the Old Church 
in the Town Meetings, and declared that they would no longer pay the 
minister's rates, as they were conscientiously opposed to the union of 
Church and State. But, upon a complaint entered, the General Court 
interfered, and they were taxed, by a special act, to support Dr. Lord 
and his society. Refusing to pay the tax they were imprisoned. For 
this cause as many as forty persons, men and women, were imprisoned 
in a single year." — Historical Notices ^ by Rev. F. Denison. 



DIVISION OF THE CHURCH. 43 

from the church, and began to hold meetings on the Sab- 
bath for their mutual edification. In August of the next 
year, they were brought before the church to make known 
their reasons for this step. These reasons were, for sub- 
stance, nearly the same which Mr. Backus elsewhere gives; 
namely, that persons were received into the church who 
gave no satisfactory evidence of conversion ; that many 
were suifered to remain as regular members, without be- 
ing dealt with, whose walk was evidently contrary to the 
Gospel ; that the pastor declared his strong attachment 
to the Saybrook Platform, which had been renounced by 
the church before settling him ; that, while many true 
doctrines were preached, the nature of conversion and of 
the soul's walk with God, the teaching of the Divine Spirit 
and the substance of experimental religion were not clearly 
held forth ; and that many things were publicly and from 
the pulpit assailed, "which," says Mr. Backus, "my soul 
well knew to be the work of God." Complaint was also 
made by one or more of them, that Mr. Lord was no friend 
to " lowly preaching " ^ and had used his authority to pre- 
vent it. At an adjourned meeting of the church it was 
voted that these reasons were insufficient ; at a subsequent 
meeting those who had thus separated " were publicly 
warned of their errors and admonished to return to the 
church;" and at a still later meeting, (Oct. 17, 1745), 
they were by vote ''^suspended from the communion and 
from special ordinances till they shall receive better Liglit 
and manifest a Desire to return," etc. The separation, 
however, was permanent. Mr. Backus and his associates 
became identified with a religious movement of the time. 
For the same reasons, in the main, which led them to 
establish a separate meeting, led within a few years to 

1 i. e. that of uneducated men. 



44 ^' HALF-WAY COVENANT." 

the formation of a large body of Separate or N"ew-Liglit 
churches. It is therefore necessary for ns to weigh these 
reasons deUberately and to describe the religious move- 
ment and organization which they brought into existence ; 
for in no other way can we understand the times and the 
labors of him whose history we are writing. 

In the first place, then, we find the " Half-way Coven- 
ant" generally approved at this time by churches of the 
standing order. Indeed men who entertained no hope 
themselves, and who gave no evidence to others, that they 
had been renewed by the Spirit of God, Avere often, if not 
generally, admitted to all the privileges and ordinances of 
the christian church. Mr. Stoddard taught that a man 
sometimes " may and ought to come to the Lord's Supper, 
who knows himself to be in a natural state," that this or- 
dinance "is mstituted to be a means of regeneration," and 
''that the direct end of it is conversion, when the subject 
that it is administered unto stands in need of conversion." 
And Mr. Williams, a defender of the Half-way Covenant, 
in opposition to Jonathan Edwards, mentions two ends 
contemplated by Christ in appointing the communion : viz. 
" That such as have grace already should be under proper 
advantages to gain more, and that those who have none, 
should be under proper advantages to attain grace." And 
Edwards himself, who utterly repudiated this view, was 
forced to lament, that " owning the covenant^ as it is 
called, has in New England, it is to be feared, too much 
degenerated into a matter of mere form and ceremony ; 
it being visibly a prevailing custom for persons to neglect 
this imtil they come to be married, and then to do it for 
their credit's sake, and that their children may be bap- 
tized." ^ In a word, it was held that the christian church 

1 Edwards, Vol. I., p. 115. 



VIEWS OF THE SEPARATES. 45 

is but a continuation of the Jewish, the terms of admission 
remaining unchanged. The position laid down by Mr. 
Stoddard was practically maintained, viz. " That if un- 
sanctified persons might lawfully come to the passover, 
then such may lawfully come to the Lord's Supper, — and 
they who convey to their children a right to baptism, have 
a right themselves to the Lord's Supper, provided they 
carry inoffensively." 

But on the other hand, Mr. Backus and those who took 
the name of Separates, believed, — to use their own words, 
— " That at all times the doors of the church should be 
carefully kept against such as cannot give a satisfactory 
evidence of the work of God upon their souls, whereby 
they are united to Christ." The views which they cher- 
ished on this point were manifestly according to the New 
Testament and were triumphantly asserted by Jonathan 
Edwards in his work entitled ; " Qualifications for full com- 
munion." To the argument drawn by ministers of the 
standing order from the "tares of the field" in favor of 
their practice, it was pertinently answered that, even if 
" the field " was intended by Christ to represent the visi- 
ble church, — which however was called in question by 
many of the Separates, — still according to the parable the 
tares were introduced secretly, by an enemy, to grow and 
ripen as tares, and not openly, purposely and, by direction 
of the owner, to be changed ultimately under proper ad- 
vantages of culture into wheat.^ 

The Separates were also charged with fanaticism, and 
especially with the error of supposing, that "the saints 

1 Perhaps some," says Jonathan Edwards, " would be ready to make 
the reflection, that those churches whose practice is agreeable to the loose 
principles Mr. W. espouses, do that at noon-day, in the presence of God, 
angels and men, which the devil did in the night, ivhile men slept ! " 



46 TABES AND WHEAT. 

certainly know one another by their own inward feelings." 
Doubtless in the heat of controversy the more zealous of 
the Separates were many times betrayed into the use of 
very extravagant language, and a few individuals, it is 
evident, embraced unscriptural opinions on the subject; 
but as to the great body of them, their views in regard 
to the proper evidences of conversion appear to have been 
sober and scriptural, differing in no important respect from 
those approved by evangelical Christians at the present 
day. Mr. Backus says : " When we first aj^j^eared against 
having the worthy and the unworthy partake together at 
the Lord's Supper, — which was a principal reason of our 
fathers' separation from the Church of England, — ministers 
told us as I have before proved, that tares and icheat must 
grow together in the church till the harvest ; for they 
knew there were many, both in public and ^^rivate stations, 
who, notwithstanding their form of godliness, appeared as 
plainly against the power of it, as the tares appeared by 
their fruit in the field. But because we would not con- 
found church and world together as they did, they shifted 
about and accused us of assuming God's prerogative of 
searching the heart ; asserting at the same time that we 
could not know who were saints and who not. And when 
it was rejDlied that Christ said: Ye shall know them^ the 
return would be : What, are you infallible ? Whereupon 
disputes have ensued which have been carried to extremes 
on both sides. I confess with shame that I have sometimes 
been thus ensnared, and so have given occasion to those 
who desired occasion against us." ^ 

1 " Fruits" says Mr. Backus, in his discourse " On Faith and its Influ- 
ence," " comprehend all that men bring forth out of their hearts^ in their 
principles, experience, conversation and conduct; and hereby we are to 
know them, and to act towards them according to the clearest light we can 
gain." 

2 Examination of Fish's sermons, p. 49, 50. 



NEGLECT OF DISCIPLINE. ^ 47 

In the second place, a reason for separation was 
found in the j^revalent neglect of discipline by the reg- 
ular churches. Not merely were those welcomed to full 
membership in the church who made no pretensions to 
genuine piety or a change of heart, but many "whose 
walk was evidently contrary to the Gospel," were alloAved 
to retain their standing with the people of God. It was 
natural that all who looked upon the church of Christ 
as a spiritual temple which ought to consist of such only 
as are, in the judgment of charity, "lively stones," should 
be grieved at the indulgence shown to open transgressors, 
and should despair of any reformation in this respect while 
the Half-way Covenant was retained. In his reply to Mr. 
Fish, Backus testifies, "that it is a professed rule with 
many ministers, not to deal with any person in the 
church for moral evil, till he is^ convicted in the state." 

In the third place, Mr. Backus and his friends strenu- 
ously asserted the independency of every christian church, 
and opposed the Saybrook Platform. For this Plat- 
form not only referred all ecclesiastical questions of im- 
portance to the decision of a synod composed of regular 
ministers in each county and of (optional) messengers 
from their several churches, but also made every decision 
of this council final and authoritative, and the council's 
own action dependent on the concurrence of a major part 
of the ministers present. 

In a previous chapter we have spoken of Mr. Wood- 
ward's share in the production of this scheme, of the 
trouble and separation which ensued between him and 
his people, and of the terms of settlement to wliich Mr. 
Lord subscribed when he became pastor of tlie churcli 
in Norwich. When now after many years Mr. Lord be- 

1 Substituted 1)y tlic writer for '' tlioy an>." 



48 • SEPARATES AT CANTERBUEY. 

gan to express himself in favor of the Platform and even 
proposed to attend the association of ministers, though 
without compromising the independency of his own 
church, it is not strange that the grandson of Joseph 
Backus took the alarm and protested against his course. 
And just at this time opposition to the Platform was 
greatly strengthened by events which took place in 
Canterbury. For, in compliance with a major vote of 
the society, but against a strong major vote of the church 
in that place, the ministers of Windham County proceeded 
to ordain and settle (Dec, 28, 1744) Mr. James Cogswell 
over the church and society. In consequence of this ac- 
tion about fifty families withdrew and established worship 
by themselves. Moreover the expulsion of two young 
men, John and Ebenezer Cleaveland, fi-om Yale College, 
because they chose to worship with the members who 
separated, served to extend the knowledge of these pro- 
ceedings, to heighten the indignation of many at every 
species of religious coercion, and to awaken a strong, 
though not general, hostility to the existing union of 
Church and State. 

In the fourth place, Mr. Backus and his associates did 
not think themselves edified by the ministry of their pas- 
tor. All of them assigned this as a reason for T\:ithdraw- 
ing and establishing worship by themselves. They were 
children of the great awakening, and longed for pungent, 
discriminating, zealous, Calvinistic preaching. While Mr. 
Backus acknowledged that the articles and covenant of 
the church were in general sound, and that many true 
doctrines were preached by the jDastor, he nevertheless 
declared his conviction that such food was commonly 
given to the sheep of Christ as they could not live upon. 



LORD AND THE GREAT REVIVAL. 49 

and hence that personal piety or growth in grace de- 
manded the separation. And when we bear in mind the 
intense religious thought and agitation Avhich characteri- 
zed this period, the radical and outspoken diiference of opin- 
ion between the supporters and opponents of Whitefield as 
to what is the best kind of preaching, it is not strange that 
separation in almost every case was due in part to such 
a conviction as Mr. Backus and his companions ex- 
pressed. 

Mr. Lord is put down by the historian of Connecticut 
among those who favored the great revival, but not in the 
same class with Pomeroy, Wheelock and Bellamy, who 
were " the most zealous and laborious in the cause." We 
have already mentioned his visit to Jonathan Edwards 
in 1735, and the report which he brought back respecting 
the work of God under the labors of that eminent divine. 
We have also referred to the preaching of Dr. Wheelock 
and others in Norwich. And it may be added, that in 
1743, Mr. Lord united with eleven neighboring ministers 
in a public declaration, which affirms their "persuasion 
that there has of late, for about three years past, been 
a great and wonderful revival of religion in the several 
places to which we minister, and in divers others which 
we are acquainted with;" and then, after alluding to im- 
prudences and separations, continues thus : " and all of 
a bad nature and tendency, that we have seen, does not 
give us any reason to think that there has not been a 
great and glorious work of divine grace carried on among 
us, and a great reformation and revival of religion; for 
which we desire to praise and adore the sovereign mercy 
of God." 

But in the year following, — a year of religious agita- 
tion, debate, and coercion in Connecticut, — he began, it 

5 



50 lord's conservatism. 

seems, to lay more stress upon the disorders and innova- 
tions wliich attended the great awakening, to look with 
coldness if not suspicion upon the practice of relating 
" experiences," and to avow his approbation of the Say- 
brook Platform. The spirit of conservatism had gained 
the ascendency, and it was no doubt manifested in his 
preaching. He felt a degree of sympathy with those wdio 
would sustain the established order of churches by the 
civil power, and who were aiDprehensive of more evil than 
good from any considerable change. He often therefore 
" struck at those things fi'om the j^idjDit " w^iich were re- 
garded by many as the work of God, and he also forbore 
to present some of those truths which they found to be 
most salutary and refreshing. Yet he should be classed, 
it is evident, with the more evangelical and earnest 
preachers of that i^eriod, and the Separates of Norwich 
had therefore less reason than many others to establish 
a distinct meeting for their mutual edification. The pros- 
pect of better spiritual food would not perhaps alone have 
justified them in resorting to such a measure ; but this 
prospect was connected by them with the other reasons 
which have been mentioned. 

Before taking leave of Mr. Lord, w^e add the following 
incident fi'om the pen of Dr. Baldwin : " Previously to 
my baptism, I visited my friends at Norwich, Connecticut. 
I then took an opportunity of conversing with my former 
venerable pastor. He received me very kindly, and when 
at his request I related my religious exercises, was quite 
melted into tears. But when towards the close of the 
evening, he suspected, from some of my inquiries, that my 
mind was not established in the doctrines of Pedobap- 
tism, he remarked to me, in rather a stern tone of voice : 
" AVell, Thomas, if you renounce your infant baptism and 



THE ^' BEECH WOODS " CONEERENCE. 61 

are re-baptized, I shall reprobate yon, notwithstanding 
all that you have told me.' I was shocked at the re- 
mark, and after a moment's silence replied : ' I hope, Sir, 
I shall be directed to do what is right.'" It appears, 
however, that the good man did not execute his threat. 
For w^e are informed that " after Dr. Baldwin had become 
a Baptist minister, his aged relative treated him with great 
kindness, invited him to preach in his pulpit, and indeed 
to the close of his life manifested towards him the most 
parental attention." 

A brief narrative will cast still further light upon the 
Separate movement. By request of Rev. Ivory Hovey 
of Rochester, Mr. Backus and others met with the former 
in Beech Woods,^ November 22, 1749, for a conference 
on their different sentiments and feelings. We give the 
rest of the account in the words of Mr. Backus. " After 
commiting the case to God, we began the conference. 
And first Mr. Hovey asked what we thought of the 
churches generally in this land. We answered that we 
believed they were churches of Christ, though greatly 
degenerated and corrupted. He said he was of the same 
mind. Next he asked what we thought of the ministers. 
We answered that we believed many of them were min- 
isters of Christ. He agreed with us therein. Then he 
asked what were the reasons of our separation, and also 
how far we did separate from them. We answered, that 
the reasons were the corruptions which had crept into 
tlie churches, and that we desired to separate from noth- 
ing but their corruptions; that although we could not 
join in the communion of those churches, yet if any who 
remained in them and gave evidence of their being saints 
desired it, we could freely receive them to our com- 

1 A part of Middleboro'. 



62 REASONS FOR SEPARATION. 

munion ; and that we desired to join with them in any- 
thing that was right. Upon this we had much talk, but 
could not be of a mind. When he asked our views re- 
specting the power of ordination, we told him that we 
held the power to be in the churches. He held the 
power of choosing [a minister] to be in the churches, 
but the power of ordaining to be in the ministers. Next 
he asked our minds concerning the knowledge of the 
brethren. I told him that the way I knew them, was 
by what came from them in word and action, and also 
that the rule which God has given us to know them by 
is a perfect rule; but as we are imi3erfect creatures, we 
may be imperfect in [applying] that as well as in other 
things. Here he agreed with me. Then he asked con- 
cerning visions, prophecies, etc. Herein we agreed that 
the Scripture is our perfect rule, and that we are not 
to give heed to anything contrary thereto. We then 
discoursed about persons' bodies being overcome ; and 
herein we agreed that it was no certain evidence either 
for or against them. In the whole of our discourse we 
were kej^t very free from bitterness on both sides, and 
we agreed in all but two j)oints. One is, he thought we 
ought not to separate, but to stay in the churches, groan- 
ing under the burdens and laboring for a reformation. 
The other relates to the power of ordination." 

Such then were some of the reasons which led to fre- 
quent separations from the standing order in the period 
before us. The history of Mr. Backus for the next few 
years will give us ample opportunity to observe still 
more closely the character of this movement, and to dis- 
cover the elements of weakness which it involved. It has 
been stated that Mr. Backus and his friends began to hold 
meetings by themselves in the beginning of 1745. For 



LETTER FROM A NEW-LIGHT PRISONER. 63 

upwards of a year they continued to maintain religious 
Avorship without any ecclesiastical organization ; but on 
the sixth of July, 1746, they united together in covenant 
as a church, and engaged to walk in the ordinances of the 
Gospel. Of their subsequent course — their labors and 
their sufferings — the limits assigned to our present work 
forbid us to speak. Yet the reader will be interested in 
a single letter written to Dr. Lord by one of those who 
were imprisoned in 1752. For this letter we are indebted 
to the " Historical Notes " of Rev. F. Denison. It proba- 
bly illustrates the spirit with which many of the New- 
Lights suffered and acted. 

"Norwich Gaol, November the 1st Day, 1752. 

'' Mr. Lord : Sir, I take this opportunity to present you 
with these few lines, which I should have thought you 
would have prevented by visiting us. Pray, Sir, consider 
whether or no you do not neglect to minister to Christ ; 
for inasmuch as ye did it not to them, etc. And further 
if you come not to see us, there are other prisoners here, 
and as you sustain the character of a minister, see to it 
you neglect them not ; and I should be glad of oppor- 
tunity to see you. Ye lay heavy burdens and refuse to 
touch them with one of your fingers. You say it is the 
authority ; Simeon and Levi are brethren ; instruments 
of cruelty are in their habitations.^ 

" Pray, Sir, read the third chapter of Micah's prophecy, 
and may the Lord make the application. Consider also that 
our Lord Jesus hath told us that his kingdom is not of this 
world, also that he that taketh the sword shall 23erish by 
the sword. I could wish you a deliverance from mys- 
tical Babylon and from her merchandize. My soul looks 

1 Gen. 49 : 5-7. 
5* 



54 DELIVERANCE FROM " BABYLON." 

to and longs to see her receive the cup of the Lord's 
vengeance, and that all His plagues may come upon 
her in one day, and that God's children may come out 
of her, and that the kingdom may be given to the saints 
of the Most High. The^e lines, with our cause, I leave 
with God, who will I trust defend it, and so subscribe 
myself a prisoner of hope. 

Charles Hill." 



CHAPTER IV. 

CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 

TJNCONVERTED MINISTERS OP THE STANDING OEDER. — PERSONAL PIETY 
AND AN INWARD CALL NOT ESTEEMED INDISPENSABLE. — VIEWS OP DR. 
CHAUNOEY. — OP THE MINISTERS OP CONNECTICUT. — A LIBERAL EDUCATION 
DEEMED INDISPENSABLE. — REMARKS OP JONATHAN EDWARDS. — REASONS 
FOR TENACITY ON THIS POINT. — OPPOSITE VIEWS MAINTAINED BY THE 
NEW-LIGHTS. — MR. BACKUS' ACCOUNT OP HIS CALL TO THE MINISTRY. 
— HIS SERMON ON THE NATURE AND NEC|:SSITY OP AN INTERNAL CALL. 

It is well known that both Whit efi eld and Tennant in- 
sisted upon personal piety as an essential qualification for 
the work of preaching the Gospel, and that they had no 
confidence in the religions character of large numbers who 
then held the pastoral ofiice. At the close of his first visit 
to New England, Whitefield wrote in his journal : " Many, 
perhaps most, that preach, I fear, do not experimentally 
know Christ." This remark has been condemned as un- 
charitable and imprudent, yet there was too much reason 
for him to doubt the piety of not a few. Certainly it is no 
more sweeping than the language of Gilbert Tennant : " It 
is true some of the modern Pharisees have learned to prate 
a little more orthodoxly about the new birth than their 
predecessor Nicodemus^ who are in the meantime as great 
strangers to the feeling experience of it as he. Tliey are 
blind who see not this to be the case of the body of the 
clergy of this generation."^ Nor is it severer tlian tlie 

.1 Backus, Reply to Fisli, p. 33. 



UNCONVERTED MINISTEIlS. 



II 



Avords of Mr. Porter of Bridgowater, who says of many 
graduates from college : " Alas, for the encourageme?it they 
meet with ! No sooner do these li(/ht^ airy^ fashionable 
young men, who evidently deny^ ojypose^ and banter, both 
publicly and privately, the great soul-humbling and Christ- 
exacting doctrines of the Gospel, and ridicule experimental 
religion as entJuisiasm^ and resolve christian experiences 
into an over-heated imagination and disordered hrain^ if 
not fanatical delusion; I say, no sooner do these young 
men come forth from the feet of Gamaliel into the world, 
and begin to exercise their gifts, but they are at once in- 
vited to preach and settle in the ministry ; and there are 
ministers and churches enough that will ordain them, not- 
withstanding the testimony which the serious, and such as 
are concerned for tlie doctrines and interest of Christ, bear 
against it. This is too much the case at this day. We 
have frequent and flagrant instances of it ; he that runs 
may read it, and he is icilfully Mind that does not see it. 
And, alas, how dark the aspect on these churches ! 'These 
things are a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.'"^ 

'' Mr. Ruggles," says Trumbull, " was a scholar and a 
wise man ; his morals were not impeachable ; but he was a 
dull, unanimating preacher; had a great talent of hiding 
his real sentiments, never coming fully out, either as to doc- 
trinal or experimental religion ; " and there appear to have 
been at that time not a few in the pastoral office to whom 
this description of the Guilford mhiister was applicable. 

When Whitefield proposed the question: "Are not un- 
converted ministers the bane of the Christian church ? " 
Dr. Cbauncey replied: ''If, by unconverted ministers, you 
mean those who appear to be so by a faith or life visibly 
contradictory to the Gospel, I entirely agree with you. 

1 See Examiniition of Fish's Sermons, p. GS-9. 



QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY. 57 

But if you intend, by unconverted ministers, those whom 
God knows to be so, though from what outwardly appears 
they ought to be well thought of, I doubt not but you are 
under a great mistake." And in his " Seasonable Thoughts 
on the State of Religion in New England," he offers this 
remark: "Conversion does not ai)pear to be alike neces- 
sary for ministers in their public capacity as officers of the 
church, as it is in their private capacity." This view of tlie 
matter seems to have been quite prevalent before the great 
awakening. It is not, therefore, surprising that educated 
men, " if orthodox in doctrine and regular in their lives " 
were admitted ^vithout hesitation to the sacred office. 

In 1712, the ministers of Connecticut at their general 
association, recommended that a candidate for the minis- 
try should be required to give satisfaction to the associa- 
tion examining him, of his skill in the Hebrew, Greek, and 
Latin tongues, in Logic and Philosophy ; of his acquaint- 
ance with the main grounds or princii^les of the christian 
religion and his assent to the confession of faith publicly 
owned by the united churches of the colony ; and of his 
sober and religious conversation. 

It will be observed, that " sober and religious conversa- 
tion " is a very indefinite expression, by no means equiva- 
lent to " experimental religion," and that no allusion what- 
ever is made to an internal or spiritual call to enter the 
ministry. Indeed, we do not find that such a call had ever 
been esteemed necessary by churches of the standing order 
in New England ; and there is reason to believe, that from 
1712, until the great revival, candidates for the ministry 
were not generally expected to give an account of their 
religious experience. 

But when the " set time to favor Zion had come," and 
genuine converts to the faith were multiplied, better views 



58 VIEWS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS. 

of the new birth began to prevail, and the labors of spmtual 
]iien were anxiously desired. Yet many churches of the 
established order remained under the care of those who 
were strangers to vital piety. In many instances their peo- 
ple were for tlie most part content with such instruction as 
tliey gave ; yet, had it been less satisfactory, a supply of 
educated and devout men could not have been found to 
take their places. For it must be remembered that no one 
was thought to be qualified for the ministerial office with- 
out a liberal education. 

Even Jonatlian Edwards wrote in opposition to the opin- 
ion, that the office of the gospel ministry need not be lim- 
ited to persons of a liberal education. He remarks that 
" some of late have been for having others that they have 
supposed to be persons of eminent experience, pubUclj^ 
licensed to preach, yea, and ordained to the Avork of the 
ministry ; and some ministers have seemed to favor such a 
thing ; but how little do they seem to look forward, and 
consider the unavoidable consequences of opening such a 
door ! " " Xot but that there may probably be some per- 
sons in the land that have had no education at college, that 
are in themselves better qualified for the work of the minis- 
try than some others that have taken their degrees and are 
now ordained. But yet I believe that the breaking over 
those bounds that have hitherto been set, in ordaining such 
persons, would in its consequences be a greater calamity 
than the missing such persons in the work of the ministry." 

If one who knew the importance of religious experience 
to the minister of Christ could use this language, it is easy 
to imagine the bitterness and contempt with which less 
charitable and less spiritual men would speak of unedu- 
cated preachers. Yet we are by no means surprised that 
clergymen of the standing order in Xew England were 



REASONS FOR A LIBERAL EDUCATION. 59 

resolved to welcome none but men of classical learning 
into their ranks. For they were convinced on the one 
hand that such learning is exceedingly desirable for relig- 
ious teachers, and they were doubtless reluctaiit on the 
other hand to surrender a weapon — namely, the reproach 
of ignorance — which had done them good service against 
the Baptists. Several of the first Baptist preachers in 
New England, were, it is true, men of liberal culture ; but 
this was not the case with all. The churches did not 
esteem an acquaintance Avith the dead languages necessary 
to qualify one for the ministerial office. N'or did they 
believe it right to close the approaches to this office against 
all w^ho Avere unable to produce a diploma. It had there- 
fore been found in many cases easier to abridge the influ- 
ence of Baptist ministers by sneering at their ignorance 
than by replying fairly to their arguments from the Word 
of God; and hence, even christian men were disinclined 
to relinquish the advantage of using such a weapon. Nor 
is it strange, all things considered, that the Legislature of 
Connecticut made the following law in 1742 : "And be it 
further enacted, that no person that has not been educated 
or graduated in Yale College, or Harvard College in Cam- 
bridge, or some other allowed foreign protestant College or 
University, shall take the benefit of the laws of this gov- 
ernment respecting the settlement and support of minis- 
ters." 

Those, however, who separated from churches of the 
established order were stanch advocates of " lowly preach- 
ing." They rated spiritual discernment far higher than 
classical learning. They held " that every brother that is 
qualified by God for the same, has a right to preach accord- 
ing to the measure of faith, and that the essential qualifica- 
tion for preaching is wrought by the Spirit of God ; and 



CO 



that * * * the tongues and liberal sciences are not abso- 
lutely necessary ; yet they are convenient, and will doubt- 
less be profitable if rightly used ; but if brought in to sup- 
ply the want of the Spirit of God, they prove a snare to 
those that use them and all that follow them." They also 
believed " that all the gifts and graces that are bestowed 
upon any of the members, are to be improved by them for 
the good of the whole ; in order to which there ought to 
be such a gospel freedom, whereby the church may know 
where every particular gift is, that it may be improved in 
its proper place and to its right end, for the glory of God 
and the good of the church."^ 

Mr. Backus heartily embraced these views; and soon 
after the Separate Church was organized in Norwich, he 
was led to devote himself to the ministry of reconciliation. 
We submit an account of his call to this holy work in his 
own language. "Hitherto a private life had been m 
choice and delight ; but a new scene was before me, which' 
I had no idea of, till I was led into it in the following 
manner. Being at a certain house where a number of the 
saints were met, the command, 'pray ye the Lord of the 
harvest that He will send forth laborers into his harvest,' 
w^as read and spoken upon. A conviction seized my mind 
that God had given me abilities which his church had a 
right to the use of, and which I could not withhold with a 
clear conscience. Soon after, a spirit of prayer for divine 
teaching was given me in a remarkable manner, and eter- 
nal things were brought into a near view, with a clear 
sight of the truth and harmony of the Holy Scriptures ; 
also these words were impressed on my mind : " Son of 

1 See Confession of Faith of the Separate Church in Mansfield, Ct., in 
the Result of a Council of the Windham County Consociation, held at 
Scotland, January 13th, 1747. Athenceum Library, Boston. 



^1 



HIS OBJECTIONS OVERCOME. 61 

man, eat this roll." Never did I more sensibly eat natural 
food than did my soul feast upon the solid truths of God's 
Word. Yet I did not then conclude that I should ever 
preach the Gospel in public. 

"A few days after, our minister^ invited me to go with 
him to Colchester and Lyme, where there Avas a revival of 
religion. I went accordingly, and on the journey two 
souls were hopefully converted. I returned home with 
rejoicing, and much life in my soul. The next day, Sep- 
tember 27, 1746, new views were given me beyond those 
which I had before received. My business led me out to 
work alone in the woods, where, with none to interrupt 
me, I had such converse with my God ^s I never had 
before. His former teachings now came to this point, that 
He called me to preach his Gospel, And I was then led 
to count the cost of obedience to the will of God in this 
work, as distinctly as ever to cast up any particular sum. 
Many and great enemies appeared in my way, reproaches, 
losses, imprisonment, and death; but God showed me 
that He could make them all fly from my path as chaff 
flies before the wind. I thought of my own ignorance and 
weakness ; but He gave me to see that He had knowledge 
and strength for me. I urged the plea th*at I was slow of 
speech and very bashful; but the answer came: cannot 
He who formed man's mouth, cause him to speak ? I said 
if I should go an.d preach the Gospel with success, I might 
be lifted up with pride and fall as many others have done. 
This difficulty seemed to me like a great mountain, rising 
far above all the rest ; but God said : My grace is sufficient 
for thee / the mountain was taken away and every excuse 
gone, so that it appeared like trifling with Divine mnjcsty 
to make another objection. And though I looked u2)on 

1 Mr. Hyde, minister of the Separatist Church in Norwich. 
6 



62 DISCOURSE ON '^AN INTERNAL CALL." 

the work as too great for an angel to go through with in 
his own strength, yet I saw it was easy for God to carry 
such a i^oor worm through it, make him faithful unto 
death, and give him at last a crown of life. So I was ena- 
bled then to give up my soul and body afresh to God, witli 
all my interest, to serve Him in preaching his Gospel. 
He then gave me a particular message from the fifty-third 
psalm, to lay open the universal corruption of mankind. 
And as our church allowed each brother free liberty to 
improve his gift in teaching, I delivered that message the 
next day (Lord's day, SejDtember 28, 1746) with special 
clearness, and with acceptance to the church. And as I 
was then free from all worldly engagements, I devoted my 
whole time to that great work." 

It may be well to notice in this place, a " Discourse on 
the Nature and Necessity of an Internal Call to preach the 
everlasting Gospel," published by Mr. Backus in 1753. In 
this Discourse he undertakes to show that " all true minis- 
ters of the Gospel are called into that work by the special 
influences of the Holy Sjmit," and in the Preface he makes 
the following remark : " Much of what I have here written 
I knew experimentally before I did doctrinally." Pie puts 
it down as the b^hef of many, that ministers are authorized 
to license preachers of the Gospel, and that whoever en- 
gages in this work without their hcense runs before he is 
sent; that ministers and churches are to examine and 
ordain all the clergy, and that this action, and this alone, 
gives to the latter their commission and authority. He 
testifies that it was often asserted, both from the pulpit 
and in conversation, That the call of man is the call of 
God ; that if a man has college learning and is regularly 
introduced according to their order, he is a minister of 
Christ and sent of God, though unconverted ; and that one 



CHARACTER OF THE INTERiSTAL CALL. 63 

must have an understanding of the original tongues, or else 
he does not know whether he preaches right or wrong. 

He speaks of his own view as novel, and therefore likely 
to encounter many objections; and he proceeds to answer 
briefly the most material of these objections, "though," he 
says, " I know that a man may as easily stop the winds 
from blowing with his words, as to still all the cavils of 
such as do not love to receive the truth." He protests 
against being regarded an enemy to learning, and grants 
that a knowledge of the original tongues may, by the help 
of the Divine Spirit, be improved for the good of others. 
He pronounces an acquaintance with the languages useful 
in itself, but considers it evident "that in our colleges 
many learn corrupt principles, not only about what makes 
a minister, but also about what makes a Christian." And 
he takes the ground that a true minister's qualifications 
consist more in divine enlightenings than in human learn- 
ing, that his authority to preach depends more upon his 
being internally called by the Spirit of God, than upon his 
being externally sent by the voice of man. 

According to this discourse, the Holy Spirit inwardly 
calls men to preach the Word, by giving them a specially 
clear view of the present state of the church and the 
world, by opening and committing to them the treasure of 
the Gospel, and by constraining them sweetly and power- 
fully to enter upon this great work at God's command. 
Mr. Backus concedes, however, that " the Lord deals vari- 
ously with difierent persons as to the means and manner 
of their call," yet insists that all who are moved by the 
Holy Ghost to take upon themselves this ministry, have 
such views of the actual condition of immortal souls and 
of the glories of divine truth, that they are constrained by 
divine power, and animated by love to the children of 



64 EXTERNAL ORDINATION NOT INVALIDATED. 

men, and zeal for their good, to go and speak unto them all 
the words of this life. 

He moreover denies that holding to an internal call 
invalidates external ordination in the least ; for as a con- 
verted person, he argues, has an internal right to all the 
privileges of the Christian church, yet has no external 
right to them, till he is openly received as a member ; so a 
person who is called to preach has no right to act in duties 
peculiar to an officer of the church, till he is publicly set 
apart therein. Praying, exhorting, and preaching, though 
duties to be performed in the church, are not so confined 
to it, that they may not rightly be performed where there 
is no church at all. But only those who have a visible 
standing in the church can administer special ordinances 
or act in cases of discipline, for these are things peculiar to 
a visible church. 



CHAPTER y. 

ITINEKANT PREACHING AND SETTLEMENT. 

MR. BACKUS BEGINS TO PHEACH. — HIS DOUBTS RESPECTING HIS CALL. — 
VISITS TITICUT WITH MR. SNOW. — IS MOVED TO LABOR THERE. —DESCRIP- 
TION OF TITICUT. — ECCLESIASTICAL PARTIES IN THE PLACE. — MR. BACKUS 
IS INVITED TO PREACH THERE FOR A TIME BY THE PRECINCT COMMITTEE. — 
FORMATION OP A NEW-LIGHT CHURCH. — MR. BACKUS ORDAINED ITS PAS- 
TOR.— HIS TREATMENT BY THE PRECINCT COMMITTEE. 

No sooner was Mr. Backus assured of his call to engage 
in the work of the ministry, than he began to go and preach. 
About fourteen months of untiring labor were spent in 
various towns of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachu- 
setts. And althougli a law had been passed by the Legis- 
lature of Connecticut in 1742, making it a penal offence for 
any person who was not a settled or ordained minister, 
to 23ublicly teach and exhort the people in any parish 
Avithout the express desire and invitation of the settled 
minister of such parish, — a law which Trumbull pronounces 
'' an outrage to every principle of justice," and which led 
to the imprisonment of more than one true evangelist — 
yet Mr. Backus was suffered to prosecute unmolested his 
work. Many believers were quickened, several persons 
were hopefully converted, and not a few of the careless 
were moved to earnest reflection. 

For the most part, he " labored with freedom and de- 
light." Yet he did not escape severe trials. About three 
months after he commenced 2)reachiiig, he was sorely 



41 



66 backus' S FIRST VISIT TO TITICUT. 

tempted to relinquish the work. He found the path before 
him one of difficulty and danger. It was suggested to his 
mind that he had gone forth suddenly, without trying to 
resist the call ; that if God had chosen him for this work, 
He would overpower all opposition to his will; and that 
the greatest sinner — the one who resisted longest — would 
be the greatest j)reacher, as the case of Paul illustrated. 
But on the other hand, he recollected that Zechariah was 
struck dumb because he would not believe the angel Gabriel 
without a sign ; and notwithstanding the temptation which 
continued for a long time, he pursued his work until at 
length deliverance and liberty came. In answer to many 
earnest prayers for a wise and understanding heart, the 
truth was laid open to him with fresh clearness, and he was 
made willing to fulfil his ministry with any people to whom 
God should send him. 

In December, 1747, Mr. Backus first saw the place where 
he was to labor more than half a century in the vineyard 
of his Master. On the 8th of this month, he paid a visit to 
Rev. Joseph Snow, pastor of a Separate church in Provi- 
dence, and was urged by the latter to accompany him to 
Bridgewater on a preaching excursion, which he was soon 
to make. "After weighing the matter and committing 
the case to God," Mr. Backus concluded to accept the invi- 
tation. He accordingly went over to Attleboro' to spend 
the few days before their journey in preaching the Word. 
On the 18th, he proceeded from this place with Mr. Snow, to 
the house of Seth Hayward, a christian brother in Bridge- 
water, where they were kindly entertained. On the next 
day, says the subject of our narrative, we ''visited several 
other Christians in the town, and had fi-eedom in conversing 
with them. They appeared to be in reality hungering after 
gospel food. Towards night we came down to Titicut to 



A JFIELD WHITE TO HARVEST. 6T 

brother Samuel Alden's, where brother Snow, who had 
labored in the place before, was welcomed with much 
rejoicing. 

"After a little, I went out abroad and was enabled to 
bless God that He had helped us hitherto. When I had 
come in, and we were seating ourselves to partake of food, 
these words came into my mind with great light and 
power : ' Say not ye. There are yet four months, and then 
cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you. Lift up your 
eyes, and look on the fields ; for they are white already to 
harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gath- 
ereth fruit unto life eternal ; that both he that soweth, and 
he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that 
saying true. One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you 
to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men 
labored, and ye are entered into their labors.' By these 
words I was led to discover in this place a large field all 
white to the harvest. Other men had labored here in years 
past, and the Lord had wrought wonders by them, but now 
my soul was constrained by divine light, love and peace to 
enter into their labors. My heart was so drawn forth 
towards God and in love to this people, that I felt myself 
willing to impart unto them not only the Gospel but my 
own soul also. Thus the Lord bound me to this people ere 
I was aware of it and before I knew any of them per- 
sonally." 

Titiciit parish, in which Mr. Backus was now to begin 
a long course of service, comprises a part of Bridgewater 
on the north, and a part of Middleborough on the south 
of Taunton River, which separates these towns. On ac- 
count of their distance from any place of public worship, 
the inhabitants of this district had at one time petitioned 
the General Court to be incorporated into a town; but 



68 STATE OF TITICUT PAKISH. 

their request was not granted. They then desired to be 
made a separate parisli or j^recinct, and an Act for that 
purpose was passed February 24, 1743. Eliab By ram had 
preached in this place about fourteen months ^yith great 
success, in 1741-2, and the people were expecting to settle 
him as their pastor ; but before the act of incorporation 
was obtained, he had gone to Xew Jersey, and was there 
settled. Subsequently, Silas Brett, Solomon Reed, John 
Wadsworth and some others had preached in the place. In 
the meantime there was brought to light a serious difference 
of opinion between the leading men of the parish and the 
professors of religion ; the former were inclined to favor 
the standing order and to support religion by the power of 
civil law, while the latter were friendly to the Xew-Lights, 
and desired a total separation of church and state. 

When, therefore, these brethren applied to the several 
churches with which they were connected for letters of 
dismission, that they might be organized into a church by 
themselves, their requests were, after some delay, uniformly 
denied ; and disheartened by this refusal, they had forborne 
almost entirely to sustain religious worship in the place, 
during the year previous to the coming of Mr. Backus 
among them. While in this condition. Rev. Xathaniel 
Shepherd of Attleboro' visited them about the first of De- 
cember, and delivered a sermon which led them to engage 
in holding meetings on the Sabbath for their mutual edifi- 
cation, and especially to pray that God would send them a 
pastor after his own heart. Their first meeting was on 
Lord's day, December 13 ; and on the Saturday following, 
Mr. Backus arrived in Titicut parish. 

In the forenoon of the next day, Mr. Snow preached to a 
large assembly. At the conclusion of his discourse, Mr. 
Backus stood up to exhort the people. " Divine truth," he 



BACKUS AND THE PRECmCT COMMITTEE. 69 

says, " seemed to flow through my soul like a river, and it 
was easier to speak than to refrain. Thus I went on for 
several hours, and the saints were greatly refreshed, while 
many sinners were struck under conviction. Towards 
night I preached from the second Psalm^ and had per- 
haps greater assistance and freedom than ever before in my 
life. Glory to God alone." In the evening, Mr. Snow 
preached again ; and during the ten days which he spent in 
this place with Mr. Backus, they preached alternately 
twenty-four sermons. 

"Monday, Dec. 28. This morning the Precinct Com- 
mittee came and requested me, in case I would be exam- 
ined and approbated by the neighboring pastors, to preach 
to them as minister of the parish. I replied that I was 
clearly convinced of its being my duty to preach to this 
people for the present, and that I cared not how many 
came to hear ; that I was willing to be examined by their 
ministers, and to give them the reasons of my hope and 
my practice ; but that I should not consent to their propo- 
sal with any such understanding as this, that the precinct 
instead of the church had a right to lead in the choice of a 
minister, nor should I leave it to man whether I ought to 
preach the gospel or no. This answer did not please them; 
yet they requested me to preach to them for a while. I 
afterwards found great reason to bless God for enabling me 
to be steadfast, and to escape the snares which men were 
laying for my feet. If I had yielded to their scheme they 
would soon have sent me ofl*. " 

Up to this time all the meetings had been in Bridge- 
water; but arrangements were now made to hold them 
every alternate Sabbath on the Middleboro' side. In the 
early part of January, Mr. Backus came before the people 
with a discourse on the Building and Government of the 



70 HIS ORDINATION AT TITICUT. 

Church of Christ as distinct from all worldly governments, 
and during the month he preached no less than thirty ser- 
mons. Meanwhile, Christians began to confer about the 
formation of a church, and they desired him to draw up 
Articles of Faith and a Covenant, He complied with 
their request, and in February (16, 1748,) sixteen persons 
signed the Articles and Covenant which he had prepared, 
and which, like those of the Separate churches generally, 
were peculiar for their high-toned spirituality, Calvinism, 
and republicanism. On the 31st of March, the church, 
which had now increased to thirty-four members, gave Mr. 
Backus a unanimous call to become their pastor. This 
call was accejDted, and he was accordingly ordained April 
13, 1748. 

While the church and council were occupied with mat- 
ters preliminary to the ordination, Benjamin "White, Esq., 
rode u]) among the throng of people, and in the name of 
the Precinct Committee, of which he was a member, for- 
bade all the proceedings. Yet this prohibition was disre- 
garded, and Mr. Backus was solemnly ordained and set 
apart to the ministry of Christ and to the pastoral care of 
the church in Titicut. 

It may not be amiss to add, that the Precinct Commit- 
tee had previously, about the first of March, revoked their 
invitation to Mr. Backus to act as i^reacher for the parish. 
And the spirit Avhich animated them may be inferred from 
the following circumstances. No compensation was made 
him for the services which he had rendered. His own lan- 
guage is this : " They never offered me a farthing for my 
preaching two months at their request." " Directly after- 
wards," he adds, " they called a precinct meeting and taxed 
me five pounds." This tax was for the supj^ort of religion 
in the place, and Mr. Backus, who was conscientiously op- 



HIS REFUSAL TO PAY A CHURCH TAX. 71 

, posed to the maintenance of religious worship by the civil 
power, refused payment. The result is given in the fol- 

! lowing memorandum. " Monday, February 6, 1749. This 
morning I was seized by the officer, who threatened to 

1 carry me to prison for the precinct-rate; but, glory to God, 

i lie gave me a sweet calmness and serenity of soul, so. that 
I was able not to fear the officer, or treat him with any 
bitterness. I told him that they were going on in an un- 
scriptural way to support the gospel, and therefore I could 
do UvOthing to countenance them in such a way. He told 
me that if I would not pay him he would immediately 
'carry me to jail; but just as he was about to drag me 
away, there came in a man,^ who called him out and j)aid 
him the money, so that he was forced to let me go." 
"After they had imprisoned one of our brethren, and made 
distress on one of my hearers, it appeared upon trial in our 
'county court, that said tax was voted at an illegal meeting. 
Yet they sent an agent to Boston and obtained an Act of 
their Legislature to make it legal, and their supreme ex- 
ecutive court turned the case against my hearer upon said 
Act. Thus was judgment turned into wormwood; and 
this is the natural effect of the use of the sword to support 
religious teachers." 

1 Capt. Abiezer Edson. 



CHAPTER VI. 

EARLY PASTORSHIP AND MARRIAGE, 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR HIS WORK. — USEFULTTESS IN TITICUT. — EXTRACTS FRO:M 
HIS JOURNAL.— LABORS AS AN EVANGELIST. —EXTRACTS PROM MEMORANDA 
OF PREACHING TOURS. — LETTER FROM MR. LEFFINGWELL. — EXTRACTS FROM 
MEMORANDA CONTINUED. —PARISH LINES DISREGARDED. — MARRIAGE.— 
ACCOUNT OP THE WEDDING. 

Mr. Backus was now twenty-six years of age ; his edu- 
cation was i^oor and his experience limited ; but his health 
was firm, his mind vigorous, his hopes bright, and ,his zeal 
ardent. He looked ujDon himself as sent into this field 
by the Lord of the harvest in answer to prayer. His la- 
bors had been attended by the Master's blessing, and a 
genuine revival seemed to be in progress. Thus qualified 
and thus encouraged, he ventured to accept the oflice of a 
christian pastor; "an ofiice," says Augustine, "than which 
there is nothing in this hfe, and especially in this age, 
more difiicult, more laborious, more dangerous, or, on the 
other hand, more blessed before God, if a man conduct 
himself therein as a true soldier under the banner of 
Christ." The subject of our narrative endeavored thus to 
conduct himself, and before many years had passed he 
knew by experience the profound truthfulness of this 
language. • 

For a considerable time after his ordination, the religious 



EEUITS OF BACKUS'S LABORS. 73 

interest continued without abatement. Before the eighth 
of May, the church had increased to fifty members, and on 
tlie seventeenth Mr. Backus writes: "When I came into 
this j)Iace I did not expect to stay a fortnight, yet I have 
been here every Sabbath for five months, have preached 
an hundred and twenty sermons, a church has been formed 
and I have been ordained the pastor, and about tv>^enty 
souls have been hopefully converted." At the close of 
this year, there were upwards of sixty members in the 
church, and during the next winter a good degree of spirit- 
uality was manifested by them. To illustrate the religious 
habits and feelings of Mr. Backus at this time, we have 
selected a few passages from the memoranda which he 
kept of his life. 

Sunday, Nov. 27, he says: "For some days past, I have 
wrestled earnestly for the divine presence and blessing; 
and great strength and clearness were given me to-clay in 
preaching." 

A few weeks later, Sunday, Dec. 18, he writes : " Last 
week some of the saints were greatly blessed in j^i'ivate 
meetings, and this day I have enjoyed unusual freedom in 
preaching. It has been to many Christians a time of 
sweet refreshing. O Lord, return and purge away our 
sins, and take up thine abode with us forever !" 

On Sunday, Jan. 1, 1749, he makes this record : "I have 
had little liberty through the whole day. O, my dear 
Lord, though I have begun the year so poorly, yet grant, I 
beseech thee, that I may spend it to thy glory." 

But the next Lord's day brought a blessing to his soul, 
and he writes : "This day was a refreshing time with us. 
Glory to God alone." 

Four weeks later, Fol). 5, he says: "In the forenoon I 
had some freedom, but at noon I could got no text to 
7 



74 CHARACTERISTIC OF lilS rREACIIING. 

jDreach from, till just before I began to speak. Then the 
Lord gave me one, and gave me glorious liberty in preach- 
ing from it." 

This notice is characteristic. Mr. Backus was at this 
period of his ministry in the habit of preaching many times 
during the week, and he does not seem to have given so 
much attention to the arrangement of his thoughts before- 
hand as is necessary in order to the clearest and most for- 
cible exhibition of truth. His sermons contained, it is 
evident, much of the marrow of the Gosj^el, and when 
the Spirit of God touched his feelings in a special manner 
his exhortations became earnest and powerful. Then his 
natural diffidence gave way and he urged home the calls 
of mercy with glowing zeal upon the hearts of dying men. 

"Thursday, Feb. 9. Two couples were married at 
Raynham ; I was there and preached, but was remarkably 
straitened in spirit; yet in the evening I had delightful 
liberty. Blessed be God, that though he gives sore cor- 
rection for sin, yet he will not take away his loving kind- 
ness from me." 

" Lord's day, March 5. Both preacher and hearers were 
dull through most of the day ; but, glory to God, he gave 
us some refreshing from his presence." 

" Lord's day, March 26. This has been a very awful day. 
My soul has been fearfully straitened, and so were the 
saints in general. Sinners appeared to have their minds 
barred against the truth. O Lord, what shall I say unto 
thee, or what shall I do, if thou dost not return ? Return, 
O Lord ! and for thy name's sake, revive thy work." 

" Lord's day, July 2. To-day the Lord made me to see 
that there was a great want of discipline in this church ; 
and to warn the saints to arise and be faithful in this 
work." 



ITINERANT PREACIIINa. 7b 

" Friday, July 28. Being sensible that the Spirit of God 
is in a great measure withholden from us, and yet propos- 
ing, if the Lord will, to enjoy the ordinance of the Supper 
next Sabbath, we did therefore keep this day in fasting and 
prayer. After the people came together, I offered prayer ; 
then one of the brethren followed, aiid during his prayer 
the wind of the Spirit began to breathe upon us. Then I 
went on to show the duty of renewing covenant with the 
Lord, and with one another; and the Lord did gloriously 
assist me for several hours." 

We have seen that Mr. Backus began his ministry as an 
evangelist ; and it may be added, that after his settlement 
as a pastor, he made frequent and sometimes extended 
journeys for the purpose of preaching the Gospel. This 
practice of going from place to place to declare the word 
of life, was not, however, peculiar to him, but was charac- 
teristic of the Separate ministers generally. They were 
stimulated and encouraged by the success of Whitefield 
and Tennant, and were ready, for the good of souls, to labor 
in the humblest manner. The work which they performed 
was, on the whole, similar to that which occupies an army 
of colporteurs at the present day. It consisted mainly in 
preaching the gospel, but for the most j)art, to small com- 
panies in private houses. Yet the New-Light ministers 
were also in the habit of visiting and assisting one another, 
and of preaching without hesitation wherever people Avere 
inclined to hear. They paid but slight regard to parish 
limits, and continually trespassed on fields that were 
claimed as their own by clergymen of the standing order. 
We subjoin a few passages from the diary of Mr. Backus, 
in illustration of these remarks. 

Jan. 22, 1749, he visited Mr. Snow and his people, and 
speaks thus of their condition : " Tlieir trials have been 



7G AT IIAPtWICII, BARNSTABLE, AXD BEHOBOTH. 

coming on for some time; chiefly for this reason. Last 
year they liad a wonderful revival, but they now found tliat 
they had sometimes followed imagination instead of faith, 
and had made too much of sweet feelings and transports. 
At this discovery, Satan comes in with an attempt to drive 
them over to the opposite extreme, trying to have them 
settle down upon a doctrinal knowledge of the truth, and 
a mere belief of the fulness there is in Christ, without the 
Spirit of God to lay open and apply divine things with 
power to the soul. Some were caught in the meshes of tliis 
subtle error, and then others set up bars against them for it." 

Feb. 20. " This morning we set out for Harwich, and 
found the Lord was with us on the way directing our steps, 
refreshing our souls, and giving us liberty in Avitnessing for 
him in sundry places T>^here we stojDped." 

Feb. 23. (Harwich.) "The Lord favored us wonder- 
fully through the Avhole day, (in the ordination of -Mr. 
Nickerson). In the evening, us we were about parting, 
some of us were at a loss in respect to our duty, and we 
joined in prayer to ask counsel of God. He did gloriously 
answer us, showing the ways in which we should severally 
go, and pouring down into our souls such divine blessings 
that w^e had not room enough to receive them." 

Feb. 28. " This morning we left Barnstable. I believe 
God has a remnant there whom he will yet bring in to 
taste of his grace. O Lord, wilt thou not send help to 
that dear people, for thy name's sake? Oh that thou 
wouldst water that dry and barren place with the showers 
of grace, and show them thy mercy according to the days 
wherein they have seen evil." 

April. 25, 1750. "Reached Rehoboth in the afternoon, 
and found the saints met togetlier. I j^reached from 2 Sam. 
15 : 22, and though I felt like a guilty wretch before God, 



A NEW-LIGHT LETTER. 77 

yet now I found real assistance from above in laying open 
the awful nature of sin, and the nature of true submission." 

May 11. "We returned in the evening from Colchester 
to Norwich. I conversed on the way with dear brother 
Leffingwell, and I trust we felt something of that which 
the two disciples felt when going to Emmaus." 

We insert the following letter as an interesting specimen 
of New -Light correspondence. Among the letters which 
Mr. Backus preserved are several from the same hand. 

"Norwich, January 12, 1747-8. 
"Dear Brother: — Wishing you to abound in the gifts 
and graces of the Spirit of God, I have taken this opportu- 
nity of writing to you, to let you know something of the 
affairs of Christ's kingdom with us. Since your departure, 
the Lord has added two to his mystical body; namely, 
your honored grandmother, that mother in Israel, and the 
wife of Ebenezer Grover. The Lord has also made some 
sweet and blessed addition to us in grace, as well as in 
number. Last Sabbath there Avas the shout of a king in 
the camp of Israel. Our dear sister Martha^ l^roved to be 
a Mary indeed, and a laborer also. Many others ^vere 
sweetly refreshed and soleumized by the grace of God, and 
aged sinners were awed. And now, dear brother, to speak 
particularly of myself, through the goodness, grace, and 
mercy of our God, I am in bodily health at present, but in 
soul lean from day to day, to my shame and blushing. Re- 
member me in these bonds. * * Dear brother, remem- 
ber the Captain of your salvation goeth before you, leading 
on the way through the ranks and armies of your enemies; 
therefore fear not, though an host should encamp against 
you, and be in nothing terrified by your adversaries. It 

1 Col. Lathrop's wife. 

1* 



78 SECOXD CEECII WOODS COXFEREXCE, 

may be to them an evident token of jDerdition, but to you 
of salvation, and that of God. Dear brother, you are not 
called to the honors of this world, but to be cast out of 
men, and to be brouglit before kings and rulers for Christ's 
sake. * * It is not for the servant to be above his 
master, nor the disciple above his Lord; 'if they have 
persecuted me, they will also persecute you,' says our dear 
Lord and Master. 

I remain your loving brother, 

in the dear Lord Jesus. Amen. 

Joh:>^ Leffixgwell, Jr." 

"This brother Leffingwell," says Mr. Backus in a note 
on the back of the letter given above, "is dear to me; and 
he hath been a blessed helper in the church of God at 
Xorwich." 

May 13. "My heart has been rejoiced sundry times since 
I have been here (at XorT\T.ch), in conversing with some of 
these dear lambs (that have lately been converted), and in 
seeing the sweet temper, and love, and solemnity they dis- 
cover. Oh that God would keep and lead them forward.'' 

Attleboro', June 11. "AVent to brother Daggett's and 
conversed with him until late in the evening; found it 
truly edifying. He told me that he perceived the error of 
making the Sj^irit the rule instead of the "\Vord to be 
creeping into the church." 

Beech "Woods, Sept. 26. (Second conference with Mr. 
L Hovey, of Rochester.)^ "L^pon the whole I find that 
much disputing is hurtful in many respects ; and in such 
public debates, I find it very difficult to manage so as to 
secure any real benefit." 

Oct. 1. "In the forenoon I felt too much of careless- 

1 See p. 51. 



SPIRITUAL ENLARGEMENT. 79 

ness, yet some degree of watchfulness, and cries after 
God ; in the afternoon I preached from 1 Thess. 5 : 15, to 
a larger number than we could expect by reason of the 
rain. I was enabled very plainly to lay open the nature 
of the operations of God's Spirit, and it was a time of 
glorious refreshing — such a meeting as I have not seen 
for many weeks." 

Dec. 2. (Lord's day.) "Found divine sweetness in 
treating the words : ' Thy time was a time of love ; ' and 
in the afternoon had uncommon clearness in showing the 
difference between the two covenants. In the evening I 
jDreached at mother's, to a house crowded full of people. 
It was a solemn and refreshing season. My dear grand- 
mother was so overcome that she could not refrain from 
speaking. Glory to God for his boundless mercies." 

Dec. 4. (Barnstable.) "Just at night we called at a 
house, where I had the greatest enlargement of soul that 
I 've had for several years. Heaven seemed to come down 
to earth. We joined in singing and prayer, and were 
really of one heart and of one souL Then I went on to 
call upon all not to look upon creatures, but to behold our 
God ; and I did solemnly demand entertainment for the 
King of Glory ; and I went on to set forth his glories, till 
I was entirely swallowed up in admiration, and could only 
cry : ' Oh, the height ! the depth ! etc' " 

Truro, April 8, 1751. "We f^und more than two hun- 
dred people met together, and (Rev.) Mr. Avery, of Truro, 
and (Rev.) Mr. Lewis, of Billingsgate, with them. Then I 
went on to preach from 2 Cor. 13 : 5, and God was with me, 
of a truth, aiding me to declare Iiow Christ is in every 
saint, and that this may be certainly known. The word 
was refreshing to many. Then these ministers desired to 
have some discourse with us. So we began, and Mr. 



80 " ox ANOTHER MAX'S FOUNDATION." 

Avery asked what right we had to preach in his parish, 
without his leave ; concluding, from a j)assage in Romans, 
that Paul would not build on another man's foundation, 
and from one in 2 Corinthians, that he w^ould not go into 
another man's line, that my course w^as wrong. Then Mr. 
Lewis took the matter ujd, and Avent on with a long dis- 
course upon many things. When I could have liberty to 
speak, I told them that if we would talk to edification, we 
must not run upon many things at once. As to the first 
passage brought forward, I told them Paul was showing 
that his lot was more especially to preach to the heathen, 
but that he had a right to preach among any sa^ts when 
he had opportunity ; and as to the other passages, I held 
that he was showing the Corinthians that his line reached 
as far in discipline as it did in preaching ; for he says : we 
are come as far as you in preaching the gospel. We then 
proceeded to other things, and I suppose we disputed two 
hours and a half or three hours. During the whole I felt 
peace of mind, and I believe that many were convicted of 
their wrong. Once Mr. Lewis called for witnesses against 
me in a particular thing, but none would answer, till two 
or three witnessed against him that he had treated me 
unfairly. I bless God for giving me so much clearness in 
standing for truth." 

But while Mr. Backus addressed himself thus earnestly 
to the work of a pastor and evangelist, he found time also 
to make provision for a life of domestic happiness. And 
no reader of these pages will be surprised to learn, that 
before acting in this afiair he besought the direction of God 
with fasting. On his first visit to Massachusetts, he had 
preached in Rehoboth (Jan. 18, 1747), and had then con-' 
versed on the subject of religion with 3Iiss Susanna 3Ia- 
son^ of that place. Their brief acquaintance was renewed 



MARRIAGE, AND WEDDING CEREMONIES. 81 

from time to time, and seems to have ripened into mutual 
esteem, and then at length into true afioction. " We sol- 
emnly covenanted together in July," says Mr. Backus, 
" were published in September, and were married ^N'ovem- 
ber 29, 1749. Thus Susanna Mason, of Rehoboth, became 
the companion of my life for nearly fifty-one years,-^ and 
the greatest temporal blessing which God ever gave me; 
for which I trust I shall praise him to eternity." 

A further notice of this wedding may not be without in- 
terest to some of our readers. It took place at Miss 
Mason's home, where a goodly company of friends and 
neighbors assembled. A jDsalm was read by Rev. Mr. 
Shepard, of Attleboro', a hymn was sung, and prayer of- 
fered. "Then," says Mr. Backus, "I took my dear Susan 
by the hand, and spoke something of the sense I had of 
oar standing and acting in the presence of God, and also 
how he had clearly pointed out to me this person to be 
my comjDanion and a helper meet for me. Then I declared 
the marriage covenant ; and she did the same. Thereuj)on 
Esquire Foster solemnly declared that we Avere lawfully 
liushand and wifeP The bridal salutations are described 
in the following manner: "Brother Shepard wished us a 
blessing, and gave us a good exhortation, and so did some 
others." Another prayer was offered; after which all united 
in sinmno; the one hundred and first Psalm ; this was fol- 
lowed by a short sermon from Mr. Backus himself. The 
account closes thus: "I think I can truly say that Jesus 
and his disciples were at the Avedding. My soul is as- 
tonished at the goodness of God. Oh, that I may never 
forG:et Ilis benefits ! " 



These words were written when ho was more than eighty years old. 



CHAPTER YIl. 

CHANGE OF BELIEF RESPECTING BAPTISM. 

DECLENSION IN TITICUf. — BAPTIST TENDENCIES OF THE SEPARATES. — DI- 
VISION RESPECTING BAPTISM! IN THE TITICUT CHURCH.— MR. BACKUS PER- 
PLEXED. — HASTILY PREACHES IN FAVOR OF BELIEVERS' BAPTISM. — RE- 
LAPSES INTO HIS FORMER BELIEF. — JOURNEY TO NORWICH. — RETRACTS THE 
VIEWS OF HIS SERMON ON BAPTISM. — SECESSION OF CERTAIN BAPTIZED MEM- 
BEUS FROM HIS CHURCH. — TRIES IN VAIN TO EXCLUDE THE PAINFUL 
TOPIC FROM HIS MIND. — EXTRACTS FROM HIS JOURNAL. — HIS REFLEC- 
TIONS ON INFANT BAPTISM. — DAY OP FASTING, PRAYER, AND INVESTIGA- 
TION. — FINDS NO AUTHORITY IN THE WORD OF GOD FOR INFANT BAPTISM. 
— IS BAPTIZED. 

But we must turn from this glimpse of domestic joy to 
follow the subject of our narrative through a long period of 
trial. According to his own testimony, sad tokens of a de- 
cline in vital piety began to appear in his parish soon after 
the beginning of 1749. Whispering and backbiting pre- 
vailed to a fearful extent, especially among the young 
people ; and warnings from the servant of Christ did not 
avail to arrest the evil. Gospel discipline was also greatly 
neglected, and a melancholy change in the state of religion 
was but too evident. This was a severe affliction to the 
young and zealous pastor. 

But this was not all. The Separates had embraced sub- 
stantially Baptist views of the Christian church. They 
affirmed with great unanimity that only those who give 
satisfactory evidence of piety are entitled to the privilege 
of membership in the church, and that only those who are 
regenerated by the Spirit of God are "Abraham's seed, 
and heirs according to the promise." Some of them, it 



DIFFERENCE ABOUT INFANT BAPTISM. 83 

cannot be doubted, saw more or less clearly the inconsist- 
ency of these declarations with the practice of infant bap- 
tism. In the Articles of the Mansfield church there is one 
which reads : " Though most of us agree in the Article of 
infant baptism, yet a difference in that particular dotli 
not break the spiritual communion of saints ; therefore it is 
no just bar to our covenanting and partaking of the ordi- 
nances together wherein we are agreed." Others j^erceived 
more distinctly than the New-Lights themselves whither 
their doctrine of a "spiritual church" was likely to conduct 
them. As early as May 17, 1743, Rev. A. Croswell, of 
Groton, Conn., thus writes to Rev. Mr. Prince, of Boston : 
"I may hereafter print something about the times, showing 
wherein I have seen reason to alter my judgment, jDarticu- 
larly with reference to exhorters. For though I was the 
first in New England that set them up, I now see, too 
late, that the tendency of their ways is to drive learning 
out of the world, and to sow it thick with the dreadful 
errors of Anabaptism, Quakerism, and Antinomianism ! " 
And in 1741, the Consociation of Windham County, 
Conn., objected to the article cited above, because it 
tends " to let in Anabaptists, and seems more agreeable 
to the inclination of parties than the Word of God." 
We will now proceed to give, from the papers of Mr. 
Backus, and nearly in his own words, written from time 
to time as the events took place, an account of his change 
of views in respect to the ordinance and subjects of bap- 
tism. 

At a church meeting, August 7, 1749, Ebcnczer Hinds 
and Dea. Jonathan Woods declared that they had em- 
braced the Baptist principle. This led to much discourse 
on the subject, and sundry of the brethren were ready to 
follow their example. They advocated the o])inion that 



84 SERMo::^ in favor of baptist views-. 

plunging is the right way of baptizing, and that infants are 
not quahfied for this ordinance. The question thus intro- 
duced became a very prominent topic of thought and of 
debate. Those who had adopted Baptist sentiments were 
persuaded that they could convince the rest of the church, 
and therefore improved every opj)ortunity to discuss the 
matter. Bitter clashing and contention followed, by which 
the remaining life of religion was destroyed. All the evil 
w^as traced by one party to the Baptist principle, and by 
the other, to fear and resistance of the truth. In reality, 
however, it sprang chiefly from the unchristian temper 
which these brethren displayed toward one another. 

For a time Mr. Backus strove not to meddle with the 
new doctrine. From the ill behavior charged upon Baj^- 
tists of former and later times, he was led to fear that some 
mischief lurked in their princij^les, and that these were 
now sent as a delusion in judgment upon them. But he 
could not exclude the topic utterly from his thoughts. 
About the 20th of August, he began to give it close atten- 
tion ; but he was dreadfully perplexed, and his mind was 
tossed this way and that. When he carefully searched the 
Scriptures, light seemed to be clearest for the Baptist doc- 
trines ; but when he looked at his own guilt and that of 
his people, the fear returned that these things were sent in 
judgment u2")on them. On Saturday night, August 26th, 
while crying to God for help and direction, he found there 
were many things very dear to him which yet he could 
freely give up into the hands of God, but that in this case 
he felt a sensible pulling back. At length this conclusion 
suddenly came into his mind : namely, the Baptist princi- 
ples are certainly rights because nature fights so against 
them. The next day he felt a secret hurrjdng on to preach 
upon this subject ; which he did in the afternoon, taking 



FLUCTUATIONS OF BELIEF. 85 

for his text, Romans 6 : 4, and maintaining that none 
have any right to baptism except believers, and that im- 
mersion seems to be the only correct mode. 

In the evening, after this premature discourse, occa- 
sioned by a hasty decision, darkness began to fill his mind, 
and on the forenoon of Monday this darkness became well 
nigh total. A little light, however, seemed to dawn upon 
him in the afternoon, and the next morning he was ena- 
bled to cast his burdens on the Lord. He now saw in the 
dreadful gloom we have noticed, an indication that the 
doctrine maintained in his sermon must be wrong; lie 
remembered also how the Bible everywhere represents 
the Lord as granting many favors and blessings to the 
children of saints for their fathers' sakes ; he thought of 
God's covenant with Abraham and the tenor of his j^rom- 
ise : " I Avill be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee," 
and found this to be the covenant with Christians still; 
and he concluded in the light of these considerations that 
the children of believers have a right to baj^tism. These 
reflections appeared to satisfy his mind, and he set out 
cheerfully on his way to Norwich. 

Making a flying call upon his friends in Rehoboth, he 
went into Providence on Thursday, August 31st, and there 
met with three of his flock at the house of Rev. Jose])]! 
Snow. They had started from home with the purpose of 
being plunged ; but Mr. Snow spoke so clearly upon Infant 
Baptism that one of them without further delay turned his 
steps homeward. Mr. Backus proceeded to Norwich, and 
after spending some weeks in preaching, visiting, and at- 
tending to secular aflairs, returned to his parish on the 23d 
of September. 

Meanwhile, he had become, as he thought, fully settled 

8 



86 RETRACTION OF BAPTIST VIEWS. 

in his former opinion, that only^ believers and their infant 
seed are entitled to baptism, and that as to the mode, 
every one must be fully persuaded in his own mind and 
act accordingly. His intercourse with ministers of the 
Separate order during this journey may have aided in 
brino-ing; him to such a conclusion. Yet he was sometimes 
sorely puzzled to fix the line beyond which one had no 
right to baptism ; for he knew that Abraham circumcised 
not only children under age, but also his three hundred 
servants. From this difficulty, however, he took refuge in 
the plea of ignorance, confessing, as Paul does, that " now 
we see through a glass darkly." 

Arriving in Titicut, he soon learned that in his absence 
Elder E. Moulton, of South Brimfield, now Wales, had 
come to Bridgewater by invitation, and had 2:>lunged, Sept. 
17th and 18th, nine members of his church, with one 
other person. ^ Here then, was a new trial ; but it does 
not seem to have modified his own course. At a meeting 
of the church, Tuesday, September 26th, he made a full 
confession, and retracted the sentiments exjDressed in his 
sermon upon baptism. Those who had been immersed 
were disappointed and ofiended at this recantation ; and 
on the next Lord's day they met by themselves for reli- 

1 " Only believers," etc., for the New-Lights were all opposed to the 
Half-way Covenant, which admitted to baptism the children of those 
who made no claim to personal piety. 

2 Their names were, Jonathan Woods, (Dea.) Joseph Harvey and his wife 
Mary Harvey, Joseph Leach, William Richards, W^iiUam Hooper, Ebene- 
zer Hinds, Nathaniel Shaw, and Timothy Bryant. Joseph Leach was not 
a member of the church. It will be noticed that Mr. Backus uses the 
word " plunged" ; doubtless with the same feeling of contempt for the 
rite which leads to the choice of this term or the word " dipped " to de- 
scribe the ordinance at the present day. We trust the time will at 
length come when good men will employ something better and nobler 
than ridicule in treating of Christian ordinances. 



FRESH DOUBTS. 87 

gious worshsip.^ But Mr. Backus was ready to make his 
relapse into the common belief still more public and prac- 
tical. In the afternoon of the following Sabbath, Oct. 8th, 
he discoursed upon the submission of David : " Here am I, 
let Him do with me as seemeth good unto Him," and 
then spoke of his sorrow for preaching against infant bap- 
tism, going so far even as to declare that he was willing to 
venture into eternity on that practice ; and proceeding 
thereafter "to bajDtize a child of sister Richmond." 

But in the present case also he was guilty of rashness ; 
and he afterwards, (in 1752) made this record : " Though I 
really thought that way to be right, yet those expressions 
which I delivered publicly, concerning venturing into eter- 
nity on that practice, did carry in them a much greater 
certainty than I really had at the time in my own soul, 
which has often since caused me to mourn before the 
Lord." 

Soon after the events which we have recited took jDlace, 
Mr. Backus resolved to dismiss all anxiety and inquiry on 
the subject, and to treat infant baptism as an ordinance of 
the gospel. But it had been determined otherwise ; and 
before many weeks were passed he was brought to a stand 
in his course by the question : Where^ and in lohat relation 
to the church of God do those stand icho have been baptized 
and yet are not believers ? The question was proposed to 
him by no one, — unless by the Spirit of God, — and he 

1 In the evening of February 3, 1750, seven of these persons united to- 
gether as a church, and soon after Mr. Hinds began to preach among 
them. But this church dissolved within a few months; Mr. Hinds and 
Mr. Shaw united with the Second Baptist Church in Boston; and several 
others l)ccame members of the First Baptist Church in Swanzey. Mr. 
Hinds was afterwards pastor of the Second Baptist Church in IMlddle- 
boro' ; and Mr. Shaw was for more than fifty years a faithful deacon of 
the First Baptist Church in that town. 



88. MENTAL CONFLICTS ABOUT BAPTISM. 

could not exclude it from his mind. But he now moved 
slowly, and only after two years of painful suspense and 
study did he reach a satisfactory conclusion. It will be 
profitable to know some of his feelings during this period. 

Lord's day, Dec. 31, 1749. " My unsettled state about 
baptism wounds and weakens my soul ; but this day I was 
favored with considerable tenderness and clearness in 
preaching." 

Feb. 4, 1750. "For some time in the evening I felt 
such guilt and distress that I was ready to cry : 'A wound- 
ed spirit who can bear? ' The promised joys of sin Avere 
turned into pain, and my soul was in agony. Lord, when 
thou hidest thy face, who can behold thee ? " 

Feb. 17th. " This day I feel much as I have done for a 
long time. There is a constant load uj^on my mind. Yet 
at times I am intensely engaged in study ; though I have 
scarce any strength or heart to act for God." 

April 8th. " I find considerable strugglings in my heart 
against declaring the whole truth, because I practise no 
more of it myself O Lord, deliver me from the power of 
this temptation ! " 

July 15th. " I have worried along now for some months, 
sometimes feeling so guilty and ashamed in viewing my 
past conduct and present case that I hardly wanted to see 
anybody. * * * But in the midst of all this various 
turning of things within and without, I find my soul is 
held, as a ship by the anchor is held in the boisterous 
waves, either from dashing on the rocks or driving off into 
the wild ocean." 

July 23d. " Felt as if I were laid aside by God and 
man ; could find scarce anything to do ; yet the Lord gave 
me instruction out of all this. At night a few of us had 
a meeting at brother Alden's, and near the close of it I had 



SPIRITUAL CO^vIFORT. 89 

such glimpses of the heavenly glory and such drawings of 
divine love as I haven't felt before these many Aveeks. 
Oh, one taste of love is infinitely sweeter than all that 
earth can afford." 

Sept. 5th. " Labored with my hands most of the day ; 
dull and stupid ; but in the evening the Lord gave me 
sweet enlargement in secret prayer. I was enabled to 
come as a child to a father, tell him all my wants, and 
lay open my very heart to him." 

Sept. 9th. "Enjoyed considerable freedom in preach- 
ing, and some of the hearers were refreshed. We then 
partook of the Lord's supper. Two offered themselves 
for communion with us, and told their experiences. One 
was the wife of Isaac Pierce, of Beech Woods, who was 
received ; the other was my dear wife, who had blessed 
clearness in describing the dealings of God with her soul, 
and the whole church seemed to be affected thereby. We 
then attended to the ordinance itself, which by reason of 
the difficulties among us had not been observed for more 
than a twelvemonth. Sundry of the saints were divinely 
refreshed while partaking of the supper." 

Nov. 11th. " This forenoon I had no remarkable assist- 
ance, but in the afternoon I was led to treat of the hope 
and comfort of the saints, and to lay open the horrid 
f ilseness of the notion entertained by carnal hearts, that 
a life of holiness is an uncomfortable life. There is no 
true happiness here or hereafter but in being conformed to 
God in heart and conduct." 

Dec. 19th. "Was much depressed in the morning by a 
sense of my vileness and by a view of the miserable case 
of tliis peo2:)le. The waters came into my soul." 

Dec. 31st. "Spent much of the day in reading. In 
the evening I preached to a little number at brother AI- 



90 SPIRITUAL TRIALS. 

den's. Alas, I had but a j^oor ending of the year. Al- 
most the whole of this year, 1750, has been a season of 
heavy trial to my soul. If any one had told me a twelve- 
month ago that I should meet with all which I have gone 
through since, I should have thought it insupportable. 
Hence the reasonableness of Christ's word : " Take no 
tliought for the morrow, for sufficient unto the day is the 
evil thereof " 

Feb. 13, 1751. " "Was called in the afternoon to visit 
a sick woman, and found some assistance in praying and 
conversino^ with her. But in the eveninsr I felt horrid 
temptations even to Atheism and Infidelity, which taught 
me the danger we are still in, if left of God." 

April 5th, (Harwich.) " My soul was brought to such a 
view of the discipline of God's house and the want of it 
among our people, that I could not but solemnly engage 
before God to be faithful in that work, and I called all the 
saints to witness against me if I was not ; and I felt such a 
salvation as I had not for a year or two before." 

Aug. loth. "Had a short conference with some of our 
brethren concerning our church affairs; our case appears 
exceedingly difficult still." 

And, long after, Mr. Backus thus refers to his reluctant 
and protracted inquiries at this time in resj^ect to baptism: 
"IsTo man, who has not experienced the like, can form a 
proper idea of the distress I endured for two years." We 
are now in some measure prejDared to trace the mental and 
moral process by which his views on this subject were 
changed, to draw near and symj^athize with this servant of 
God, while, by "agonizing prayer" and "intense study," he 
slowly emerges from darkness into light, from painful sus- 
pense into assured belief 

When the question, " where, and in what relation to the 



LIGHT SOUGHT FROM GODo 91 

church of God, do those persons stand, who have been 
baptized and yet are not believers ? " presented itself to 
the mind of Mr. Backus, he was unable to find a satisfixc- 
tory answer. He perceived that during the former dis- 
pensation, all who had been circumcised were in the 
church, which was national. He also saw, and had clearly 
seen for many years, that under the new dispensation, 
none are in the church, but saints who are built iqj as 
lively stones^ etc. He found no gospel standing-place for 
half-way members. In spite of all he could do, he felt 
constrained to omit the practice of infant baptism, and for 
upwards of a year his mind continued in nearly the same 
posture of indecision, " suifering trials which no tongue can 
express." On the fifth of April, 1751, he made a solemn 
promise to the Lord to attempt the restoration of faithful 
discipline in the church. He succeeded at first in leading 
his brethren to engage in this work ; but after a time some 
of them said they could go no further in disciplinary labor, 
till they knew how the case would turn with him as to 
baptism. Discouraged by this obstacle, he felt himself 
compelled to let the work drop. 

Having thus borne for almost two years the tortures of 
doubt respecting the subjects and mode of baptism, he set 
apart Saturday, July 20, 1751, as a day of secret fasting 
and prayer, to seek once more the direction of God. After 
confessing his sins, and earnestly imploring divine help, he 
took Wilson's Scripture Manual, and seriously examined 
every particular passage of God's Word which relates to 
baptism, and was forced to " give in " that the sentiments 
of Mr. Wilson appeared to be according to the mind of 
Christ. Then, still looking to the Most High for direction, 
he went on to examine several portions of the Sacred 
Record, which speak of God's blessing his people and 



92 THE QUESTION SETTLED. 

their seed with them. He carefully reviewed the account 
of Xoah's preservation with his family, the promises made 
to Abraham and his seed, to David and his posterity, and 
the descriptions given in the Old Testament of the Mes- 
siah's reign ; and he concluded in view of all these, that 
God had promised to manifest himself to his people in 
the latter days, and to pour out his Spirit upon them in a 
very extraordinary and glorious manner ; also, that he had 
given to believers great encouragement to bring their off- 
spring to him, pra^dng and hoping for large blessings upon 
them ; for they shall all hioio him^ from the least to the 
greatest. But he was led at the same time by this compre- 
hensive and prayerful survey to conclude that none ought 
to be baj^tized, and thus have the outward mark of Christ's 
disciples put upon them, except those who give evidence 
of haA'ing believed in him. This settlement of the ques- 
tion gave him some degree of peace. " But yet, alas ! " 
he says, " I feel like a weak creature still, having but 
little streno'th and boldness to come forth in the truth 

o 

in this evil day. Lord, I commit my all to thee." 

At a meeting of the church, July 25th, he made known 
to his brethren the character and result of his inquiries, de- 
claring his full conviction that there is no scripture war- 
rant for infant baptism. Much discourse followed. On 
the 29th he writes: "I have had some distressing views 
of my case, and of the danger of being left as a stumbling 
block to others, or as a barren useless creature. I went to 
pour out my soul to God, and I was enabled to confess my 
shis, and with earnestness to j^lead, that he would either 
bring my soul forth to act for him, or take me out of the 
world. For I had rather be hid in the grave, than to 
live a burden to his creation.'' He also spent the 30th 
of this month in fasting, humiliation and prayer, and 



BAPTISM OF BACKUS. 93 

closes his record of it with these words : " O Lord, bow 
down thine ear and hear ; for I am poor and needy. We 
are made a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh 
among themselves. Turn us again, O Lord of hosts, and 
cause thy face to shine upon us, and we shall be saved." 

Mr. Backus was now fully satisfied in respect to his 
duty. He therefore sent for Elder Benjamin Pierce of 
Warwick, Rode Island, to administer the ordinance of 
baptism ; and on the 22d of August, 1751, he was bap- 
tized with six members of his church, on profession of faith 
in Christ. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

COUNCIL UPON COUNCIL. 

POSTURE OF MR. BACKUS. — IS CE:n:SURED WITH OTHERS BY THE FIRST COUN- 
CIL. — VISITS NORWICH. — RETURIS'S HOME AND IS RESTORED TO OFFICE. — 
TWO OPPOSING BRETHREN ARE ADMONISHED BT THE CHURCH. — A SECOND 
COUNCIL ADMONISHES THESE TWO BRETHREN, AND THEN THE CHURCH. — 
EFFORTS TO RESTORE PEACE. — A THIRD (EX PARTE) COUNCIL CENSURES MR. 
BACKUS AND JUSTIFIES THE TWO BRETHREN — REMARKS ON THIS ACTION. 
MR. BACKUS EXCLUDED PROM THE CHURCH. — HIS LETTER TO THE SAME 
ON INFANT BAPTISM. — VISITS STURB RIDGE; CONDITION OF THAT CHURCH; 
COUNCIL THERE. — OPPRESSION IN NORWICH. — FOURTH COUNCIL IN TITICUT. 
— GENERAL MEETING OF NEW-LIGHTS IN EXETER, R. I. — FIFTH COUNCIL IN 
TITICUT. — GENERAL CONVENTION AT STONINGTON, CT. — PROCEEDINGS. — 
RESULT. 

Ncf one can be surprised that Mr. Backus came with 
great reluctance to the conclusion above described. His 
early education, his attachment to a large circle of rela- 
tives and to ministers of the SeiDarate order; his prejudice 
against the Baptists, whose name was literally cast out 
as evil, and his unwillingness to recant a deliberate, pub- 
lic, solemn recantation, thus exposing himself afresh to 
the charge of fickleness, fully explain this reluctance. 
But at length, to use his own language, believing that 
" truth is to be received and held for its own sake, and 
not upon any exterior motives ; and that it is never to 
be violated or forsaken for any consideration whatsoever," 
he had been able "to leave good men and bad men out 
of the question, and inquire : What saith the Scripture ? 
Hereby a settlement was granted, and he was baptized." 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE EIUST COUNCIL. 95 

But this act did not bring him to the j)oint of rest. 
Slowly, with careful inquiry, and impelled by the pressure 
of truth, was he to pass on step by step to his final |)osi- 
tion. At this time he did not look upon himself as a 
Baptist, nor desire to become connected with that de- 
nomination. His j^urpose was to abide with the flock 
over which he had been placed by the Ploly Ghost ; and 
as several of the members believed the practice of infant 
baptism to be scriptural, he proposed to have the rite 
administered, when desired, by neighboring clergymen. 
In this way, it seemed to him possible for the whole 
church to remain together in peace and without vio- 
lence to the convictions of any. 

But the church was in a very sad condition ; brotherly 
love wsiS almost gone and discipline had fallen to the 
ground. Every day it became more evident that the 
pastor had given serious offence to some of his flock. 

In this j)osture of affairs it was deemed expedient to 
seek the advice of other churches. A council was there- 
fore called, which met on the 2d of October, 1751, and 
continued in session three days. From the records of 
this council Ave present a summary of its action. The 
first day was devoted chiefly to an examination of the 
" travail of Isaac Backus " in resjDCct to the ordinance of 
baptism. But this examination was at length interrupted 
and the further prosecution of it deferred until inquiry 
had been made as to the standing of the cliurch. Most 
of the second day was spent in making this inquiry ; and 
it was found not only that diverse opinions and great 
confusions prevailed in the church, but also that some 
of its members had a controversial disi)osition. 

On the third day, the church covenant was read and 
sixteen members gave themselves up afresh to the ser- 



96 BACKUS UNDER CHURCH CENSURE. 

vice of God, promising to walk together in the ordin- 
ances and discipline of Christ's house. Notwithstanding 
their previous neglect of gospel discipline, these and some 
others Avere voted by the council to be regular members. 
It was also voted that Isaac Backus, by neglecting to 
discipline some that were scandalous walkers, by not 
putting, in many respects, the laws of Christ's house in 
execution, by falling out of the testimony and not stand- 
ing in the authority of his office, has violated his pastoral 
covenant and is a transgressor of the laws of Christ's 
house. As such an one he was admonished. Those who 
refused to enter into covenant with the sixteen men- 
tioned above, were then censured by the council and 
declared to be persons of irregular standing. Accord- 
ing to the testimony of Mr. Backus, those who renewed 
covenant at this time were charged to follow the irregular 
members till they were either restored to fellowship or cut 
off by discipline. In the course of two or three weeks 
four of them were restored. As to Mr. Backus, he had, 
at the time, no courage to unite with the sixteen, and was 
therefore left under censure by the council. 

On the 15th of October he set out for JsTorwich with 
his wife and his mother. The former he left with her 
friends in Rehoboth. Proceeding to his native place 
with his excellent mother, he began after a few days to 
feel a " real thirsting " of spirit for an opportunity to bear 
testimony for God and to preach his gospel, before leav- 
ing the town. But he says, Oct. 22d : " I had some 
discourse with brother Hide, and he seemed to throw a 
block in the way ; for though I felt some freedom in my 
soul towards God, and the load of guilt was to a consider- 
able extent removed, yet because there remained some 
darkness in my mind as to how I should go on in the ordi- 



WEESTLmGS WITH GOD. 97 

nance of baptism, he thought the censure was not taken 
off, and so he could not encourage my preaching as I now 
stood. These things brought fresh distress ujoon my 
poor souL Some part of the evening I felt dreadful 
wranglings of mind, and then a view of these did in- 
crease my burden ; so that I was ready to choose strang- 
ling and death rather than life. On the morning of the 
next day I still felt this distress for a while, until it 
seemed that I could live no longer. Then I withdrew 
to pour out my complaint to my God, and he assisted 
me to draw near and order my cause before him. And 
as I was condoling my case and pleading that he would 
appear for the honor of his own name, that promise 
which was given me when I was first called to preach, 
was brought afresh to my mind, — my grace is sufficient 
for thee. This did renewedly take hold of my soul, and 
I was enabled by it to lay hold of the girdle of God's 
faithfulness and to wrestle with him as really as ever 
Jacob did. Oh, how dreadful was that place ! God's 
majesty and glory appeared, and I was strengthened to 
bring forth sundry enemies to have them slain before 
him ; also to renew covenant with him, in a most solemn 
manner, to go on in his work ; and my soul had a meas- 
ure of sweet deliverance. In the evening the saints met, 
and I told them something of my travail, and was enabled 
to dedicate myself and all I have to God, to be the ser- 
vant of his church for Jesus' sake. They received me, 
and I preached from 1 John, 3 : 8, with considerable clear- 
ness. Glory to God for his amazing goodness to such a 
wandering creature ! " 

Much affected by the loving-kindness of God, Mr. 
Backus, on the 2d of November, returned to liis peace- 
ful home and to his distracted flock. Meanwhile, during 

9 



98 RESTORATION TO FELLOWSHIP. 

his absence, the Lord had been in the place, some of the 
saints had enjoyed refreshing seasons, and the spirit of love 
and fellowship seemed to be resmning its control. In the 
evening after his return, we find him saying : " An Indian 
man, one of my neighbors, came in, and I found him under 
deep conviction. The Lord gave me remarkable enlarge- 
ment in laboring with him for an hour or two. I have not 
seen a person under more powerful conviction for a year. 
Glory to God!" 

November 8th. The church restored him to fellowship 
and to his office as pastor. But Samuel Alden and Robert 
Washburn would not give their consent to his reassuming 
the pastorshij^, unless he w^ould baptize infants. A private 
brother, although rejecting this practice, might, indeed, 
remain in the church ; but a minister, they insisted, who 
thought it to be without scriptural warrant, could not be 
tolerated. And, therefore, " after much labor, they were 
admonished as offenders, and suspended from church com- 
munion, because they held to that which tended to divide 
the body of Christ." Those persons also who had been 
baptized by Elder Moulton, and who believed in restricted 
communion, were admonished and laid under censure. 

But the end was not yet. Although a large part of the 
church sustained Mr. Backus, the two recusant brethren 
adhered to their j^osition, and refused to accept him as 
pastor. At their request a council was called, which met 
ofi the 27th of May, 1752. After examination, the council 
expressed a belief, that Samuel Alden and Robert Wash- 
burn were guilty of setting up a bar which they ought 
not against the reception of the pastor by the church, 
while he could not engage to baptize infants ; but at the 
same time the council declared itself not clearly satisfied 
that the church as a body was right in admonishing them. 



THE TWO RECUSANT BKETHREN. 99 

All on both sides were then invited to come forward, give 
up themselves to God, and renew covenant one with an- 
other to go on in his ways. The response to this invita- 
tion was not satisfactory; and the council accordingly 
"gave its testimony, that the pastor and church as a body 
lay under the defilement of sin in neglecting to go on in 
gospel discipline, and did admonish and call upon them to 
arise and be faithful now to strengthen the things which 
remain, which are ready to die, as they would escajDe the 
dreadful judgment of God's departing." 

Here then was no progress, no relief. It is not enough, 
the two brethren still insisted, for Mr. Backus to agree 
that all who wish to have their children sprinkled, may 
call in ministers to do it who believe in the rite ; he must, 
as pastor, do this himself On the other hand, it was im- 
possible for him to perform this ceremony without doing 
violence to his religious belief. In this condition of afiairs 
he made another effort, along with some of the brethren, 
to bring about a union and to prosecute the discipline of 
the church. They not only strove to avoid all controversy 
about the ordinance of baptism, but sought not to mention 
it even ; and after a time, having excluded the two conten- 
tious brethren, they began to hope for prosperity. 

But their hoi3es were doomed to be disappointed. For 
these two brethren sent to three churches for advice, and 
a council met at the house of Joshua Fobes in Bridge- 
water, on the 1st of November, 1752. Although this was 
an ex parte council, Mr. Backus and the church did not 
object to having the course which they had taken with 
Alden and Washburn thoroughly examined by it. 

After organizing, the council proceeded to inquire*. 

1. Whether the covenant of the church Avas agreeable 
to the Word of God, particularly concerning infant bap- 



100 RESULT OF A THIRD COUNCIL. 

tism? And the reply ^ras, that "we find the above men- 
tioned covenant, particularly in respect to infant baptism, 
to be no way contrary to the Word of God, but agreeable 
thereto.^ 

2. Whether Isaac Backus has broken said covenant, or 
the two aggi'ieved brethren, Samuel Alden and Robert 
Washburn? And this answer was given: "We find that 
the above named Isaac Backus hath broken covenant, par- 
ticularly in respect to infant baptism;" alleging his de- 
claration, that he could venture into eternity upon it, and 
in contrast with this, his subsequent re-baptism and refusal 
to baptize the children of members belonging to the church 
under his pastoral care. 

3. Whether there should be any difference, as to their 
being received into a church, between a pastor and a pri- 
vate member, who are alike wanting or destitute of divine 
teaching and establishment in infant baptism, or who have 
fallen from it ? And it was said in reply : We find there 
is a great difference. First, because a pastor must be so 
taught and established in the truth that he may be able to 
teach others also, and by sound doctrine convince the 
gainsayers, etc. And, secondly, because the pastor has 
also to administer the sacraments of the Xew Testament, 
according to Christ's appointment, and if he is not estab- 
lished in the practice of infant baptism, the church is de- 
prived in part of the outward means whereby Christ com- 
municates the benefits of redemption. 

4. As to the conduct of the above-named brethren, and 
their beha^dor towards the said Isaac Backus, pastor? — it 
was responded, that we can find no just charge to bring 
against them. HaA'ing been laid under church censure for 
holding their princij^les agreeable to their covenant, they 

1 Gen. 17 : 10. Acts 2 : 39. Gal. 3 : 29. 1 Cor. 1 : 16. 



BACKUS AND THE CHUKCH CENSURED. 101 

were thereby rendered incapable of dealing with the said 
Isaac Backus as a covenant breaker, otherwise than by a 
council. It was further declared to be the judgment of 
the council, that pastor and church and all who joined with 
them in suspending and excommunicating Samuel Alden 
and Robert Washburn, had acted contrary to the rule of 
the gospel and given just cause of offence to said brethren 
and to all who were in fellowship with the church at its 
organization. They were therefore solemnly charged, in 
the name of the Lord Jesus, with having caused a division 
and an offence contrary to the doctrine we have learned ; 
and were solemnly exhorted to consider from Avhence they 
had fallen, and repent, and do their first work, lest Christ 
come quickly and remove the candlestick, etc.^ 

It may be remarked, that this council did not inquire of 
Mr. Backus respecting the reasons which had led him to 
renounce infant baptism ; yet, in the result, he is said to 
have offered no scriptural warrant for his belief and action.^ 
Neither was he asked to explain the strong expressions of 
confidence in that rite which he had once made ; yet those 
expressions were emphatically and re^^eatedly brought for- 
ward in the result. It may also be observed that this 
council censured the church for doing the very things 
which the council of October 2d, 1751, had charged it to 
do. Solomon Paine was the moderator of both councils, 

iRcv. 2: 5. 

2 Under the fourth counc"of the doings of this council, these words arc 
addressed to the pastor ; " You ofFer no scriptural warrant for your bap- 
tizing persons who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost, and for refusing to baptize minors upon the term of their 
being the household of believers, and have debarred your brethren not 
only of this, but of all the privileges which j^our covenant, made with 
them, holds forth, only because they would not have fellowship with such 
uufruitful works of uncertainty," etc. 

9* 



102 BACKUS EXCLUDED FROM THE CHURCH. 

and seems to have controlled in a great measure their 
action. The change which had taken place in his views 
will find an exj^lanation in the sequel. 

The proceedings of this council led to the exclusion of 
Mr. Backus from the church ; though some few of the 
members seem to have adhered to him in the darkest hour. 
The majority, however, with Alden and Washburn at their 
head, established a meeting by themselves, which was sus- 
tained for a short time and then died away.^ On the 18th 
of November, Mr. Backus sent the following letter : 

" To the members of the Church in Bridgewater and Mid- 
dleboro', who now profess to stand and act as the 
church : 
"Dear Brethren" : Since you expressed, last week, when 
I was with you, that you were willing to receive light, if 
any could communicate it, concerning this point which is 
so much controverted among us ; Adz., of believers being 
the only proper subjects of baptism ; and as my soul has a 
desire that you may be brought to see things as they are, 
therefore I have thought it expedient to write to you a 
few lines upon the matter. 1. One great argument brought 
to prove that it is right to baptize infants, is this — that the 
covenant which believers stand in now is just the same as 
that which was given to Abraham, to which circumcision 
was a seal. But it seems strange to me that any can hold 
it so. For the covenant, in the seventeenth of Genesis, 
plainly includes a promise to Abraham of a numerous I30S- 
terity, and that kings should come out of him, and that 
they should have the land of Canaan for an everlasting 

1 Robert "Wasliburn subsequently left Bridgewater and settled in Plain- 
field, Ct., where for some years he continued to be a strong advocate for 
infant baptism, and then relinquished it as an unscriptural practice. 



niS LETTEK TO THE CHURCIL 103 

possession, as well as that the Lord would be a God to that 
people. And circumcision was the seal of the covenant, 
which included all the ceremonial law, and the Jewish 
forms of worship. And there is one prescription expressed 
plainly, in first mentioning the time when children should 
be circumcised; viz., at eight days old. The reason for 
this was, that by the ceremonial law, they were not clean 
before, as is plainly expressed, Leviticus 12 ; 3. Now, to 
say that baptism seals just the same covenant, is most 
strange and absurd. 

"2. It is commonly said that the subjects are the same, 
only the seal is altered. But I never yet saw the person 
who practised so. The subjects then were all who would 
profess that religion, and their whole households, let them 
be old or young. A foreigner, or hired servant, was not 
to be taken in, but all the males wdio were property were 
to be circumcised.^ Observe here, God says expressly — 
'Every man's servant who is bought with money (let him 
be as old as he may), when thou hast circumcised him, 
then shall he eat the passover.' N^ow I never saw one yet 
who 23ractised according to this in baptism, and I hope I 
never may. There, the servant, let him be ever so old, 
was circumcised on his master's account; and it is plainly 
expressed that when they had circumcised him, he should 
eat the passover. So that, did I believe the subjects of 
baptism remained the same, I should not dare to shut off 
one of the children or servants of believers from this or- 
dinance or from the Lord's Supper either. 

"3. Another argument, which seems to be of great weight 
with many serious people, is, that our privileges are not 
less now than theirs were then. But in this, tliere seems 
to be much of the spirit of those ancient fathers who came 

1 Gen. 17: Kx. 12: 11, 4.3, 18. 



104 HIS LETTER TO THE CHURCH. 

out of Babylon, wlio des})ise(l the clay of small things,^ 
and wept when the foundation of tlie second temple was 
laid,^ because the outward glory of it, when compared with 
the first temple, appeared as nothing. But God said, ^ The 
glory of the latter house should exceed the former.'^ The 
glory of the Jewish church stood much in outward things ; 
( as of circumcision, God says — ' My covenant shall be in 
your flesh. ') Now, as to the outward glory, they exceeded 
all churches which have existed in gosjiel times in inany 
things. The prosperity and blessing in temporal things, 
which they enjoyed at times, I suppose, went greatly be- 
yond what any church of Christ has had since he suffered ; 
and the temple of Solomon was undoubtedly more magni- 
ficent than any house of worship on earth. But shall we 
say, therefore, that our privileges are less ? No, surely. 
Again, they had three yearly public feasts, at which all 
their males were to appear before the Lord ; but there is 
only one stated ordinance in the Xew Testament church ; 
viz. : the Lord's Supper. But is it right to say that our 
privileges are cut short on that account ? Once more, the 
gospel ministry as really comes in the j^lace of the priest- 
hood, as baptism does in that of circumcision ; and the 
priesthood Avas confined to Aaron and his descendants. 
Now, is it good reasoning to say that gospel ministers have 
not so great privileges as the priests had, because they have 
no right to bring their children into the ministry? I 
believe no serious j^erson will say so. Not a whit more of 
reason is there for saying, that the privileges of believers 
are now less, because they are not now allowed to partake 
of the ordinances of Christ's house until the Lord con- 
verts them and prepares them for it. The truth is, those 
things were types and shadows of heavenly things ;^ and 

iZech. 4:10. 2 Ezra 3: 12. 3Hag. 2:3, 9. ^Heb. 8:5. 



HIS VISIT TO STURERIDGE. 105 

we have a more clear and glorious revelation of divine 
tilings; and our children have vastly greater advantages 
of being taught in the things of salvation by Jesus Christ. 
And it highly concerns every saint to use all gospel means 
and methods to bring his family as well as others to be- 
lieve in Christ ; so that they may have a right to all the 
privileges of the sons of God. And I wish I could see all 
those who are pleading so earnestly for infant baptism 
more engaged to train up their children in the ways of 
God. 

"Thus, my brethren, I have hinted to you some things 
which were upon my mind concerning these matters. And 
I desire that you may be as noble as the Bereans were, and 
search the Scriptures daily, to see if these things are not 
so. And now, as to the line you are going on in, in 
admonishing all, as covenant breakers, who hold that none 
are the proper subjects of baptism but saints; I verily 
believe that in this you are striking against divine truth ; 
though I hope it is ignorantly ; and therefore, though I 
am not much concerned what you will do to me, yet I 
must say, Do yourselves no harm. 

So I remain your souls' well-wisher, 

Isaac Backus." 

We have found no record of the manner in which this 
letter was received or of the effect, if any, which it pro- 
duced. The excluded pastor, however, continued his min- 
istry with such as still approved his course ; and after a 
few weeks it was deemed expedient to call another coun- 
cil. 

Mr. Backus therefore set out (Jan. 1st, 1753,) on a jour- 
ney for the purpose of requesting certain churclies to send 
messengers to this council. And he soon perceived that 



10 3 INTERVIEW WITH JOHX BLUXT. 

many of his brethren among tlie Separates were deeply 
affected by the censure which had been passed upon him. 
This was particularly the case with those who had from 
the first held the immersion of believers to be the only 
baptism authorized by the Xew Testament, but who were 
at the same time decided advocates of o^Dcn communion. 
Several of the Xew-Light ministers were to this extent 
Baptists when they were ordained ; e.g., Samuel Drown, 
Stephen Babcock, Xathaniel Draper, and Peter Werden ; 
and these were of course prepared to appreciate the con- 
victions of Mr. Backus, and to sympathize with him in this 
hour of trial. 

During this journey, he visited Sturbridge, January 7, 
being led thither by the peculiar condition of the church 
in that place. It aj^pears that John Blunt, when settled 
as pastor over this church, was a believer in the practice 
of infant baptism. After a while, however, he renounced 
that practice, and was himself immersed. He subsequently 
" buried with Christ in baptism," almost a hundred others. 
Yet he had lately come out once more in favor of infant 
baptism. Hearing of all this, 3Ir. Backus was drawn to Stur- 
brido^e, althouo'h he had no thou^'ht of iiroins: there when he 
left home. At noon, he told the saints (for it was Lord's 
day,) wherefore he had come, and that on hearing of their 
case these words were impressed upon his mind : " When 
thou art converted, strengthen tliy brethren." In the after- 
noon he preached upon the '' nature of a gospel establish- 
ment." " At night," he says, " I went home with brother 
Blunt, and he gave me a narrative of his travail, and how 
he was now brought to embrace infant baptism. After 
weighing his discourse deliberately, it was evident to me 
that his views had been changed principally by observing ef- 
fects ; viz. : some running into errors, making division among 
the saints, and the like; rather than by seeing scripture light 



COUNCIL AT STUHBRIDGE. 107 

for infant baptism. I therefore told him that I believed he 
must search deeper before he would have clear establish- 
ment," 

On the following Tuesday, a council met to consider the 
difficulties between Mr. Blunt and the church. After or- 
ganizing, " brother Blunt," it is said, " brought in a written 
copy of the church's admonishing him for his instability 
abo^ut baptism. Then he brought forward his complaint, 
saying he was grieved at the church for going off from the 
covenant which they first adopted, and also that he thought 
the church had broken covenant, by hindering him from 
baptizing infants. But after deliberately hearing and 
weighing the case, it was found by the council, that the 
pastor and church did all unitedly change their principles, 
and afterwards their articles, about baptism, and that 
brother Blunt went on to baptize upwards of ninety persons 
by immersion. So the council judged that he had broken 
covenant by his late course, and that the church did right 
in admonishing him. These things showed me that the 
question in respect to baptism is becoming more close and 
urgent. Oh, that the Lord may keep us from a party 
spirit, and enable us always to contend for the truth in 
love." ^ 

Returning by way of his native place, in order to see his 
friends, he makes this record January 17 : "I would here 
review a little what I have seen at Norwich. This last 
year the enemies have done more at haling the saints to 
prison for rates, than they have done ever before since our 
separation ; but it is remarkably evident that, as it was 
with Israel, so it has been here : ' The more they oppressed 
them, the more they grew.' This congregation, I think, is 
nearly as large again as it was the last time I ^vtis here be- 
fore. The Lord has indeed wrought wonders among them." 

1 See Appendix A. 



108 CONFERENCE OF SEPARATES IN EXETER. 

On the 20tli of January, he reached home ; and on the 
31st, the i:)roposed council was held, and the following 
result was reported. " We find a peculiar difficulty sub- 
sisting among them^ which affects the whole number of the 
Separate churches ; therefore we refuse to give our opinions 
or judgments until the number of the faithful, by their 
messengers, meet together in a general assembly, to settle 
points of communion, * * * at Exeter, R. I.^ * * * 
on the 23d of May next." A copy of this was to be sent 
to all the Separate churches in fellowship in the land. 

Twenty-five chuches were represented at the General 
Meeting in Exeter. After much deliberation and confer- 
ence it was concluded : (1) That we do not find it to be a 
censurable evil for one who has professed and practised the 
baptism of minors, to turn from that to the baptism of 
adults by immersion ; and (2) That we do not find it to be 
a censurable evil for one who has professed and practised 
re-baptizing by immersion, to turn from it and give up his 
children or minors in baptism. The word "censurable" 
refers of course to ecclesiastical censure. This, now, was 
thorough and consistent testimony in favor of mixed com- 
munion. And it may be worthy of remark, that the New- 
Light ministers who held to belief ers' baptism, were nearly 
or quite all present, while several of the more prominent 
defenders of the opposite view did not appear ; e. g., Solo- 
mon Paine and Thomas Stephens. 

On the second day of its session, this meeting took into 
consideration the case of Mr. Backus, and advised him to 
choose four elders to visit Middleboro' and sit in council on 
the troubles there. Accordingly, he made choice of elders 
Sprague, Werden, Lee and Peck. These, with the excep- 
tion of Lee, met at Middleboro', July 11, 1753, and were 

1 That is, Mr. Backus and his people. 



COUNCIL ABOUT BACKUS AND THE RECUSANTS. 109 

joined by some others. The conclusion to which tliey 
came was this : that Mr. Backus and his brethren were to 
blame for excluding Samuel Alden and Robert Washburn ; 
and also for dealing with Jonathan Woods, Ebenezer Hinds, 
and others. When this result had been read, twelve per- 
sons^ renewed covenant, and after having been cordially 
received into fellowship by the council, proceeded to revoke 
their former acts of exclusion, and to confess their faults 
one to another. 

Yet peace was not even now restored. Discordant 
opinions still existed in the bosom of the church; its 
members did not all see eye to eye ; they could not in the 
fullest sense declare their acceptance of one Lord, one faith, 
one baptism ; and therefore they were unable to illustrate 
the IS'ew Testament idea of a spiritual brotherhood, the 
oneness of faith and purpose and action, the mutual confi- 
dence, fidelity, watchcare and sympathy, which are implied 
in such a brotherhood. 

And what was true in this particular church, was to a 
great extent true of the Separate ministers as a body, and 
of the Christians whom they served in the gospel. Agita- 
tion was therefore to be expected, and agitation was sure 
to make their present position untenable. A few days after 
the meeting at Exeter, Oliver Prentice was ordained at 
Stonington, Connecticut, May 29, and Stephen Babcock 
declined acting with Solomon Paine in the services. When 
subsequently called upon by the church in Stonington for 
an explanation, he mentioned his belief that Mr. Paine 
had abused the Baptists in general, and Isaac Backus in 
particular. For making this statement to others before 

1 Namely ; Isaac Backus, William Hooper, Joseph Phinncy , Jabez Eddy, 
Onesimus Campbell, Timothy Bryai^^avid Alden; and Patience Eddy, 
Lydia Richmond, Esther Hay ward, Martha Paddleford, Susanna Backus. 

10 



110 SEPARATES ^AT STOXIXGTON. 

coming with it to himself, Mr. Paine commenced a labor 
with Elder Babcock. The latter, however, sustained by 
his church, decided not to hear the charges of the former. 
But these two ministers finally agreed to call a general 
meeting of the New-Lights at Stonington on the 29th of 
May, 1754. 

We may here cite a passage fi^om the papers of Mr. 
Backus. "Nov. 8, 1753. Stayed at Robert Washburn's, 
who moved from Bridgewater to Plainfield last spring. 
With him I had considerable discourse last night and this 
morning uj^on our former differences about baptism ; and 
from all I could learn he and his church have now a zeal- 
ous disposition to cut off from their communion all who 
are fully of the mind that there is no gospel warrant for 
infant baptism, let their behavior apart from this be such 
as it may. Brother Solomon Paine and others seemed to 
be running in the same path, and this, I fear, unless the 
Lord prevent, will make a sad rent and sore divisions 
among the godly." 

Forty churches^ of the "Separate Constitution" re- 
sponded to this call by their ministers and messengers. 
Messrs. Paine and Babcock occupied the first day and a 
half in laying their difficulty before the Conference ; and in 
the afternoon of the second day this body decided by a 

1 " Elclei-s and brethren from forty churches then met, viz., from twenty- 
four in Connecticut, eight in Massachusetts, seven in Rhode Isiand, and 
one on Long Island." — Backus^ History. In his examination of Mr. 
Fish's Sermons (p. 118), it is said that " the messengers of about thirty- 
five churches came together." The former of these statements is undoubt- 
edly correct. It will be seen that Mr. Backus speaks of delegates from 
twenty four Separate churches of Connecticut. Yet Mr. Trumbull remarks : 
" There were t^n or twelve churches and congregations of this denomina- 
tion in the Colony." The historian of Connecticut seems never to have 
examined the writings or the stati^^s of the Kew-Lights with sufficient 
care. 



RESULT OF STONINGTON CONPERENCE. Ill 

major vote, that Mr. Babcock, by his conduct, had yiolated 
the gospel rule. On the next day the meetmg proceeded 
to consider his complaint against Mr. Paine. The result 
of the Council of May Ist, 1752, was read and criticized. 
After mucli discourse, it appeared by vote that thirty-seven 
regarded the result in question as no just cause of offence 
to the Bajotists ; while thirty-five thought otherwise, and 
five were undecided. " Then dismissing the consideration 
of particular facts, Paine and Babcock were desired to 
bring out i)lainly their principles. Paine then confessed, 
that when he joined the Baptists in communion and in 
Babcock's ordination, he did not so critically examine the 
foundation of things as he ought to have done. He thought 
then that they might go on together, but he noio found 
that they could not. He read a paper concerning his j^rin- 
ciples, the sum of which was : That if any godly people, 
who do not hold infant baptism, confessed that it might 
be their darhness that they did not hold it, he would com- 
mune with them ; but he could Jiot commune with those 
who said it was their light and not their darkness which 
made them reject infant baptism. Then Babcock mani- 
fested that he was of the same mind as when he was or- 
dained, making a difierence of opinion on baptism no bar 
to communion; and so the Baptist brethren in general 
aj)peared to stand. But many on the other hand showed a 
disposition to draw off from them. So the meeting broke 
up in a sorrowful manner. On the whole, it appeared evi- 
dent that Paine and Stephens, with some others, meant to 
break with the Baptists, and yet to cast the blame of it 
upon them ; which was the main point in these labors of 
three days." 

In another place Mr. Backus says: "At tlic close of the 
meeting, several of the most noted leaders on the side of 



112 LETTER FROM BACKUS TO HIS MOTHER. 

tlic Pedobaptists openly declared that though they could 
yet commune Avith saints who did not see light for infant 
baptism ; yet they did withdra^v the hand of felloAvship 
from all such as professed to see that there T\"as no warrant 
for bring:ino^ infants to that ordinance."^ To show the 
feelings of Mr. Backus at this time, we insert the follow- 
ing letter to his mother : 

'' Stoningtox, Jan. 1, 1754. 
"My dear Mother: I understand that you expected 
me to come to ISTorwich now, but I think my circumstances 
wont admit of it. I left my family well on Monday 
morning, and it is a time of health among our people ; yet 
souls are very stupid. Now, as to the aifairs of Zion, my 
heart is greatly grieved and burdened — for the divisions 
of Reuben there are great searchings of heart. Alas, what 
will be the end of these things ! The transactions of this 
sorrowful meeting have often made me think of an observa- 
tion of Mr. Flavel concerning divisions and contentions 
that happened in his day about the same points. He says 
they rose to such a height that it seemed as if one party 
would devour the other ; yet God would not suffer it to 
be so, but let in the enemy, who laid hands on them ; and 
now, says he, we have an opportunity of making acquaint- 
ance again in prison. God knows whether it may not be 
so now, if repentance and reformation don't prevent; 
which may God in infinite mercy grant. I can't enlarge 
further now ; but close with my duty to you and love to 
all my friends. Amen. 

Isaac Backus." 

This Convention, the largest ever held by the Xew- 
Lights, served unquestionably to divide rather than to 

1 *' A Fish caught in liis own net/' p. 118. 



SECOND CONFERENCE AT EXETER. 113 

unite them. Its doings foreshadowed a separation of 
ecclesiastical elements, which had been brought together 
by the force of common symjDathy, at a single, vital point. 
But as yet there was no formal rupture. And with the 
hope, it seems, of averting this issue, fifteen churches 
thought proper to call another meeting to be holden at 
Exeter on the second Tuesday of September, 1754, for 
the purpose of settling terms of fellowship and communion 
at the Lord's table. Representatives from twelve churches 
only appeared. David Sprague was chosen moderator, and 
Isaac Backus clerk ; both of them belonging to the Baptist 
wing. The result of the General Council at Exeter, May 
2d, 1753, was then publicly read and fully canvassed; 
some approving and others disapproving its form. At 
last the following question was proposed : Whether, if a 
Congregational brother should come to a Baptist church 
in the fellowship of the gospel, and desire to commune 
with them at the Lord's table ; but two or three refused to 
sit down with him; — whether said church will receive 
that brother to communion, or not ? And it was answered 
fully in the affirmative : " Because we dare not shut out 
such as Christ evidently receives." 

This appears to have been the last meeting of the Sepa- 
rate churches as a body; and it may be well to bear in 
mind, that the Baptist section of this body was amply 
represented and was found to be in favor of open commu- 
nion, while the Pedobaptist leaders were absent and their 
sentiments were understood to be inclining towards re- 
stricted communion. No man wielded such an influence 
among them as Solomon Paine; and it is manifest that lie 
had, in effect, refused to commune with every Baptist who 
had either intelligence or self-respect. 
10* 



CHAPTER IX. 

BACKUS BECOMES A BEGULAK BAPTIST. 

EFFORTS TO LITE IN PEACE. —FAILUnE. — MR. BACKUS REVIEWS THE QUES- 
TION OP COMMUNION —FINDS THE ARGUMENTS OP BUNYAN INCONCLUSIVE. 

— RELINQUISHES OPEN COMMUNION. — FORMATION OP THE FIRST BAPTIST 
CHURCH, MIDDLEBORO'. — EXTRACTS FROM HIS MEMOR ANT) A OP PREACHING 
TOURS; (1.) TO CAPE COD. — ORDINATION OP MR. CHASE. — (2.) TO SOUTHERN 
NEW HAMPSHIRE. — LETTER TO MR. CHASE. — (3.) TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD. 

— (4.) TO THE CAPE. — (5.) TO DURHAM, N. H. 

But it is time for us to withdraw our attention from the 
Separates as a body and fix it upon Mr. Backus and his 
church. In Titicut precinct both pastor and flock were 
heartily committed to the practice of open communion. 
Serious and persistent efforts were made to "keep the 
imity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," and to move on 
harmoniously in the service of Christ. If any member of 
the church desired to have his children baptized, he had 
full permission to call in a minister from abroad to perform 
the act; and if any member who had been sprinkled in 
infancy wished to be baptized, full permission was granted 
Mr. Backus to administer this rite. Moreover, it was 
agreed, that no one should introduce any conversation 
which would lead to remarks on the subjects or the mode 
of baptism. But this mutual agreement could not stand 
the test of practice; and these persistent endeavors to 
avert dissension and live in peace were unavailing. For 
when infants were sprinkled the Baptists showed their 
dissatisfaction, yet without leaving the house. And when 



bunyan's arguments examined. 115 

Mr. Backus baptized certain members of his own clinrch, 
the Congregationalists would not go to witness the im- 
mersion, but called it re-baptizing and taking the name of 
the Trinity in vain. And when the members of the church 
met for conference, they Avere afraid to speak their minds 
freely, lest offense might be given ; and this fear led to an 
unbrotherly shyness. Hence, for fifteen months before 
they dissolved, they could not agree to meet at the Lord's 
table, and some of the members went back to the churches 
with which they were previously connected. 

These things finally induced Mr. Backus to enter upon 
a fresh inquiry, and search after their cause. He reviewed 
the arguments of John Bunyan in favor of communing 
with sincere souls, though unbaptized, of which the two 
following are the most important, viz., That in ancient 
thnes plain laws were dispensed with for such persons^ and 
That God hath conimujiion with them. As illustrations 
of the first, Bunyan had appealed to David's eating the 
shew-bread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, and to 
the people's eating the Passover, in the time of Hezekiah, 
otherwise than had been prescribed. Heretofore, Mr. 
Backus had looked upon this argument as conclusive; 
but he now discovered in it a great mistake, forasmuch as 
extraordinary cases ai^e brought forioatrd to establish a 
general rule. To the second argument, also, he found 
grave objections. For he observed that many of God's 
ways cannot be imitated by men. And while he believed 
that Christians ought, so far as they are able, to walk 
together in divine truth, he now perceived that one rule 
ought not to he hrohen over in order to unite in another. 
"Baptism," he says, "and the Lord's Supper, appear to be 
ordinances of Christ of equal weight, and the one to be 
placed before the other; and therefore, after many cries 



11 G ESSENTIALS IN A VISIBLE CHURCH. 

for divine direction and much searching of the Scrii^tnres, 
I was constrained to give in that we ought not to receive 
any to the Lord's table who have not been baptized 
according to the gospel rule. I was brought to see that 
we had made Christians our rule, instead of the Word of 
God ; for his Word requires a credible confession of saving 
fiith, in order to baptism ; and if we come to the Holy 
Supper with any who were only sprinkled in infancy, we 
commune with unbaptized persons, which Pedobaptists 
themselves do not profess to do. 

"Evidence of union and communion with our glorious 
Head lays the foundation of communion with each other, 
as his members ; but the question arises, whether this be 
all which is needful for admission into the visible church ? 
Some have answered in the affirmative, and yet, upon 
trial, have found that there are things not essential to 
salvation, which are necessary in the A'isible building. For 
instance, those who hold the church to be national cannot 
'build Avith those who hold it to be congregational. Some- 
ihincr more than an evidence merelv of heart relioion is 
therefore necessary, in order to build together. And what 
is it ? A consideration of some general rules, such as : 
'Love the truth and peace,' ^ 'Follow peace with all men, 
and holiness,'^ 'Follow after the things which make for 
peace, and the things whereby one may edify another,'^ 
may heljD to answer this question. To promote truth, 
peace and holiness, then, should be our great concern in 
all our religious exercises, and whatever interferes there- 
with should be avoided. Mutual edification is also one 
great design of a visible church, and whatsoever mars it 
we ought likewise to shun. Well, then, to apply these 
rules to the case in hand, I conceive that it is vain for 

1 Zech. 8 : 19. Heb. 12 ; 14. Rom. 14 : 19. 



BACKUS BECOMES A BAPTISTo 117 

tliose who liold that a profession of saving faith is neces- 
sary, in order to baptism, and those who hold that be- 
lievers ought to bring their children to this ordinance, to 
try to build together. For this latter belief lays the foun- 
dation of a national church, as has been found in our 
land. Nay, it tends to make void believers' baptism ; for 
if infant baptism universally prevailed, there would never 
be another believer baptized, and so Christ's command 
would be made void through this tradition." 

These and similar considerations led Mr. Backus to re- 
linquish the position which he had so long and so heartily 
maintained. In a letter to his mother, dated Jan. 26, 1756, 
he says : 

" We have been so broken and divided as to be incapa- 
ble of acting as a body for some time, though greater 
numbers have latterly met for public worship than used to 
do. By long experience and a more thorough search of 
God's Word, I am convinced that it is neither agreeable 
nor expedient for those who differ so widely about the 
first ordinance of the gospel (viz., baptism) as w^e do, to 
build together, or, in ordinary cases, to try to go on 
together in the special ordinances of the church ; yet, at 
the same time, I would earnestly labor to maintain all 
christian love and freedom in things wherein we are 
agreed. After several free conferences and having our 
way made clear, six of us being of this mind, did, in a 
meeting for that purpose, on January 16, solemnly and 
renewedly sign covenant together ; I trust, Avith some real 
freedom and sense of divine things. And I can't but 
hope that this people will yet be blessedly delivered. 
But, for auglit I know, this news may be grievous to your 
mind; which [grief] the tenderness of love between us 



118 " A DULL SCHOLAR. " 

would be loath to cause ; yet I am persuaded you are 
sensible that every one must practise according to the 
clearest light he has, let who will be of a different mind. 
And we may doubtless in these things rest upon the text, 
Philippians 3 : 15, 'If in anything ye be otherwise minded, 
God shall reveal even this unto you.' Xow, committing 
our case into his hands, with desires to be remembered 
by you at the throne of grace, I remain yours, in nearer 
regards than I can express. 

I. Backits." 

In a discourse subsequently iDublished, he argues that 
the Lord's SujDper is properly an ecclesiastical ordinance; 
that Christ has required baptism prior to church member- 
ship or privileges; and that a close union of those who 
observe and those who disregard this order must be pro- 
ductive of alienation and strife. At a much later period, 
he thus refers to the years of transition and trial through 
which we have traced his path: "After renewing grace 
was granted, I was such a dull scholar in Christ's school, 
that I was thirty-two years in learning a lesson of only 
six words, namely, ' one Lord, one faith, one baptism.' It 
took ten years to get clear of the custom of putting bap- 
tism before faith, and near five more to learn not to 
contradict the same in practice ; after which, above seven- 
teen trying years rolled OA'er us, before we could refrain 
from an implicit acknowledgment of more than ' one Lord ' 
in religious affairs." The last clause of this retrospect 
will be illustrated in the progress of our narrative. 

On the IGth of January, 1756, several baptized believers 
met at the house of Mr. Backus, and, after earnest prayer 
to God for wisdom and help, and the preaching of a 
sermon, six persons entered into covenant as a Baj^tist 



BAPTIST CHURCH FORMED. 119 

church.^ Three more were joined to this little body on the 
22d of March, and on the 6th of April, ISTathaniel Shaw was 
received from the Second Church in Boston, and chosen 
deacon. At the same time, Mr. Backus was unanimously- 
invited to become their pastor. The invitation was ac- 
cepted, and on the 2od of June he was publicly installed. 
Thus was organized the first Baptist church between 
Boston and Rehoboth, a distance of almost fifty miles, 
and between Bellingham and the end of Cape Cod, a 
distance of more than one hundred miles. And thus, 
too, did the subject of our narrative find himself in a 
position, as to his religious views, from which he never 
saw reason to depart. 

It will be interesting, before closing this chapter, to 
peruse a few notices, from his own pen, of his labors and 
feelings as an itinerant preacher. In December, 1751, he 
attended a council at HaTwich, for the purpose of assist- 
ing the saints in that j)lace to settle certain difiiculties, and 
to ordain Mr. Chase as their pastor. The difi[iculties were 
soon happily removed, and Mr. Backus thus speaks of the 
ordination : 

"Dec. 11. Brother Chase gave an account of his con- 
version, of his call to preach, and of his call to take the 
care of this church. Now, also, in a clear and solemn 
manner, did he give himself to God and to this j^eople, 
and they did receive him according to the gospel. Tlien 
I preached and prayed, brother Carpenter gave the charge, 
brother Ewer the right hand of fellowship, and brother 

1 Viz., Isaac Backus, Timothy Bryant, John Hay ward, Susanna Backus, 
Mary Caswell, and Esther Fobes, The Confession of Faith and Covenant 
adopted by them were drawn up by Mr. Backus, and may be found in 
Appendix B. " Before this time there were only about eighteen Baptist 
churches in the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont." 



120 III3 JOURNEY TO CAPE COD. 

ISTickerson made the last prayer. The Lord gave us the 
witness of his presence, and afterwards, on our taking leave 
of this dear people, a great many of them were swallowed 
up wonderfully in the divine love." 

"Dec. 12th. Came over to Barnstable and found the 
saints met together. I i3reached just at night, and it was a 
blessed season. The saints had great wrestlings and fer- 
vent cries for brother Silas Ewer, who has been for some 
time possessed with a spirit of pride and bitterness, and 
carried away with notions of great things, so that his intel- 
lectual powers are much disordered." 

"Dec. loth. The case of sister Lovell, who has been 
under doubts about the work of God in this day, and has 
been assailed by great temptations, took such hold of my 
mind that I could not with clearness leave the place with- 
out going to see her. I went, therefore, with two of the 
brethren, and we found her sorrowful and tempted. Her 
father came in and tried all he could to hinder our con- 
versing with or preaching to her. But at last her husband 
said that he did not choose to be j^revented fi^om hearing 
a sermon by these things. So I went on to preach fi'om 
the words: 'Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have 
you, that he may sift you as wheat,' etc. ; and the Lord 
did give me remarkable clearness in laying open Satan's 
temptations, and in mentioning some things to comfort 
God's people under them. After we came away, I felt 
such Sowings of divine love, and such peace in my soul, 
that I wanted heaven and earth to help me praise my 
God." 

"Dec. 14th. In reviewing what God has wrought in 
this journey I had great satisfaction. He gave me uncom- 
mon clearness about coming, has directed me from day to 
day, has wrought a wonderful deliverance for his people 



HIS JOUP.NEY TO NEW HAMPSHIRE. 121 

at Harwich, and has given my soul at sundry times blessed 
refreshings of divine love ; so that, all things considered, I 
think the grace of God to me in this journey exceeds all 
that I have experienced in any journey of my life. Oh, that 
I could be more active in praising my divine Master ! " 

Towards the close of January, 1752, Mr. Backus made 
an excursion, with Rev. William Carpenter, into the south- 
ern parts of IN^ew Hampshire, in order to proclaim the gos- 
pel. He thus writes : 

"Jan. 28th. Travelled to Exeter, and were kindly re- 
ceived at the house of Elias Ladd. In the afternoon we 
had considerable discourse with brother Sweet and some 
others. In the evening I preached to more than a room 
full of people on the dreadfulness of putting God afar off; 
and he drew near and enabled me to lay open the truth 
in demonstration of the Sj)irit, and to press it home. 
Brother Car2:)enter, also, had sweet liberty in exhorting; 
many were seized with conviction, and the saints were 
refreshed. A solemn season it was, the most blessed of 
any that I've seen since I came from home. My soul 
desires to thank God and take courage." 

"Jan. 29th. In the morning we had much discourse 
with the man where we stayed. Pie appears to have been 
greatly enlightened, and now stands in a very critical and 
dangerous place. May the Lord deliver his precious soul ! 
We afterwards set forward, came to Durham, and held a 
meeting at Esquire William Odiorne's. I preached, but 
was very much straitened, so that I could scarce find any 
SAveetness in truth, and hardly deliver the plain doctrines 
of the gospel without blundering, and I felt ashamed to 
look anybody in the face. Oh, how foolishly do I wander 
away from my God ! Let me be fastened to Thy cross 
rather than lose Thy sight." 

11 



122 LETTEll TO Mil. CHASE. 

"Feb. 1st. Felt something low both in body and mind. 
We held a meeting, and brother Car23enter jDreached. The 
Lord came down by his power, sundry saints were set at 
liberty, and did shout forth his i^raise, sinners were seized 
with conviction, and some cried out in distress. Glory to 
God in the highest ! " 

" Boston, Feb. 7th. Had opportunity last night and this 
morning to peruse Mr. Davies's account of the state of 
religion in Virginia, and my soul was refreshed in hearing 
of the wonders which God hath there wrought, and was 
filled mth insatiable longings for the spread of Christ's 
kinoxlom tlirou2:h the whole world." 

The following letter will not be without interest to some 
as showing the sobriety of mind and christian fidelity of 
Mr. Backus at this j)eriod of his life. 

" To Richard Chase, in Yarmouth. 

"Dear Brother : Old Father Eldridge informs me that 
you have declared it to be your duty, as you are pastor of 
the church, to take a basin of water and wash the disci- 
ples' feet after the Su23i3er. Now, knowing the friendship 
and intimacy which has been between us, I shall, without 
any apology, freely in simplicity, give you my thoughts 
upon that point. 

"1. As to the literal sense of washing feet, we find that 
it Avas commonly practised when persons who had been 
journeying came from their journey.^ 

" 2. It seems that the work was commonly done by ser- 
vants, and was looked upon as a menial employ.^ And, 
therefore, it did greatly express the humility as well as the 
brokenness of heart which Mary felt, when she washed the 
feet of our Lord.^ Therefore : 

1 Geu. 18: 4; 19: 2; 24; 32: and 43: 24. Ju. 19: 21., etc. 

2 1 Sam. 25:41. 3 Luke 7: 38. 



" WASHING THE DISCIPLES' PEET. " 123 

" 3. I apprehend that Christ's washing the disciples' feet 
did set before them a pattern of humility, and that herein 
he showed them that they should never become so great 
as not to be ready to do the meanest office of kindness to 
each other; as indeed he seems to explain it himself, 18: 
14, 16. 'If I your Lord and Master have washed your 
feet, ye ought also to wash one another's feet. The ser- 
vant is not greater than his Lord,' etc. 

"• But then I do not think that washing the disciples' feet 
literally, is a work to be performed by ministers in the 
church now, for the following reasons : 

" 1. Because the need and occasion of it have ceased. I 
observed before, that in old times they washed the feet of 
travellers ; the occasion of which I take to have been, that 
they went with their legs naked, and only sandals on their 
feet, and these I suppose to have been pieces of leather, 
merely tied on with strings, and protecting the soles of 
their feet, so that their ankles and feet were covered with 
dirt and defiled in travelling, and needed washing before 
they retired to rest. But in general, you know, there is 
not the same need and occasion for it now. And this, by 
the way may help to answer the Quakers' objections 
against the external use of all ordinances, if we neglect 
this ; for there is as much need of being stirred uj) in re- 
membrance of a dying Saviour now, as ever; but there is 
not the same need of washing the disci23les' feet. But 
again : 

" 2. If we did practise it noAV, yet it is not office-work 
in the church. Paul mentions it as a work done by vir- 
tuous women. 1 Tim. 5: 10. 'If she have lodged stran- 
gers, if she have washed the saints' feet,' etc. And our 
Lord in the 13th of John, mentions it as a work of humil- 
ity and kindness which the saints sliould do to eacli other. 
V. 19. 'Ye ouo-ht to wash one another's feet.' 



124 SECOND VISIT TO XEW HAMPSHIRE. 

"Thus I liaA'G biicily liinted to you my mind ; but if the 

practice seem to you to be clearly required by the truth, 

and you apprehend that you have clear light, yet I hope 

you Avill take these lines as tokens of unfeigned love from 

your friend and brother, 

Isaac Backus. 
May 10th, 1752." 

In August of this year he again visited the same region 
^vith Rev. Mr. Hide of Brookline. 

"Aug. loth. Dined at brother Sweet's in Exeter, and 
Avhile our bodies were feeding on temporal food our souls 
were gloriously refreshed with divine grace." 

"Aug. 18th. We proposed to have gone to Portsmouth 
to-day, but Providence seemed to shut the door. So we 
spent the day in visiting and conversing. Once I had 
great strength and freedom in secret prayer for Capt. Odi- 
orne and his wife, also for my dear family and the church. 
At night we went and heard Mr. Prince, the blind man, 
and he delivered many truths, but in a legal dress. After 
he had done, I had freedom to deliver a few Avords for my 
God, and then had some comfortable discourse with him." 

"Aug. 21st. Mr. Hide preached a sermon with sweet 
assistance ; sundry saints were really brought near to God, 
but one man came in and openly expressed his rage at his 
wife for her religion. After the meeting was dismissed, I 
went into the other room, and there found one soul under 
deep conviction. As I began to converse, my heart was 
enlarged towards God for the deliverance of this person 
and two others ; and for an hour or two I was enabled to 
agonize for them in prayer as I scarce have done for any 
sinners these four years past. It was, indeed, a solemn 
and glorious season; many saints were brought into the 
bosom of divine love, and sundry of the uncom^erted were 



jouiiNEY TO Martha's vineyakd. 125 

crying out in view of their sins. A night much to be 
remembered ! " 

"Aug. 23d. A great number of people came together, 
so that we could not meet in the house, but went out 
under a shady tree. After 2^1'eaching, we went on to par- 
take of the Sacrament. Several offered themselves to the 
church, and one was received. The lot fell upon me to 
administer the ordinance, and I had remarkable clearness 
therein." 

In March, 1753, he paid a visit to Martha's Vineyard. 
We subjoin a few notices : 

" Falmouth, March 14th. Read some in the "Travels 
of Ungodliness," and was affected at seeing so many of the 
schemes of wickedness laid open. My heart was stirred 
within me to press forward in laboring to destroy the 
works of the devil." 

"March 15th. By the way, (to Martha's Vineyard,) I 
had earnest outgoings of heart to God and desires that he 
would guide and help me in this place, where I am entirely 
a stranger." 

"March 17th. In the afternoon I went with brother 
Butler down to the water side, and had some comfortable 
conversation with his uncle. I then went to see Mr. New- 
man, the minister here, and we soon fell into a discourse 
about qualifications for, and introduction into, the ministry. 
lie held it to be necessary for a man to have the original 
tongues, or else, said he, ' A man does not know whether 
he divides and delivers the Word right or wrong.' " 

"March 18th. I heard him both parts of the day, and 
lie delivered truth ; but he read nearly all, and he did not 
come so close upon men's consciences as I should liave 
been glad to have heard. In the evening I preached at 
brother Butler's. People were very differently affected. 

11* 



126 COUNCIL AT HARWICH. 

Some said, ' he is a good man,' others said, ' nay, but he 
deceiveth the people.' Some said, ' he is a Quaker ; ' 
others said, ' we have n't heard such a sermon these seven 
years.' And thus I found I must pass through evil report 
and good report." 

From the record of a journey which he made to the 
Ca23e in the early autumn of 1753, we select the follow; 
ing item. 

''August 23d. "We met in council at Harwich to con- 
sider the case of brother Chase and this church, who were 
dealt with by a council last December as disorderly walk- 
ers for forsaking infant baptism. Brother Carpenter, who 
* was moderator of that council, openly confessed his fault 
and asked their forgiveness for dealing so with them ; 
and they freely forgave him. "\Ye then proceeded to re- 
voke their censure and publicly to declare fellowshi]) 
again with this dear church. After this I preached a 
sermon from 2 Timothy, 2 : 19. My heart was drawn 
forth in an astonishing manner to treat with immortal 
souls, and I trust the Sj^irit of God was sweetly moving 
among them. We then, at brother Clark's, had further 
conference with the church about certain difficulties. I 
did not intend to have another sermon to-day, we were 
so spent ; but in the evening a crowd of peojDle filled the 
room, and it touched my heart to see their earnestness. 
So I preached to them concerning the great trumpet of 
the gosj^el,^ with very little fotigue. To see souls eager 
to hear, animates my heart, and oh, how great has been 
God's goodness this day ! All glory to his name ! " 

"24th. I hear that sundry vain young persons were 
seized with strong con^dctions last night, and were cry- 
ing, "what shall we do to be saved?" Went this morn- 

1 Isaiah 27: 13, 



MEMORANDA OF JOURNEYS. 127 

ing to brother Nickerson's and preached ; then went to 
Nathaniel Gage's, and brother Carpenter preached. After 
meeting, brother Chase came out and tokl. how he was 
convinced that he ought to follow Christ's example in 
going into the water to be baptized, and he spake with 
great tenderness towards others, and exhibited such a 
gospel temper that no objections were made against it, 
and I could do no less than go down to the water and 
baptize him." 

" 25th. Preached my farewell at the house of Isaac 
Chase, and God's glory appeared in such a manner, while 
I was treating with souls about the great salvation,^ that 
I was ready to cry: 'How dreadful is this place; it is 
none other than the house of God and gate of heaven.' " 

"June 27, 1754. Came down to Harwich and preached 
twice at brother Clark's. The people seemed very earnest 
to hear, and urged my staying longer, but I could not. 
I fear many of them are ready to idolize a poor worm ; 
and alas, my heart is too apt to be taken with the applause 
of frail men — which I find a dreadful snare." 

"Norwich, September 15, 1754. Preached both parts 
of the day in brother Hide's meeting-house to the largest 
auditory which I ever saw there ; and in the afternoon my 
soul had glorious clearness in treating of the inside of re- 
ligion." 

" September 17th. This morning my aged grandmother 
came to see me ; her soul seems to live in sight of the 
glorious prize." 

"January 15, 1755. Came forward, [on his way to Dur- 
ham, New Hampshire,] and my soul had some meditation 
on the road respecting Baptist j)rinciples, which are so 
much controverted at the present time. From this I was 

1 Hebrews 2 : 3. 



128 GRATITUDE FOR A PIOUS ANCESTRY. 

led to tliiiik of my education and the way I was trained 
up in ; and I could say that, instead of despising my an- 
cestors because I had left the principle in which I was 
nurtured as to baptism, my heart did bless God for their 
faithful instruction and government as well as for their 
prayers and godly example ; from them my thoughts were 
led higher to the great Author of my being, in thankfulness 
for a religious ancestry and for his grace to my poor soul." 



CHAPTER X. 

JOY IN SERVICE. 

SETTLED BELIEF. — ABirNDAlTT LABORS. — MEMORAT^D A OP PREACHING TOURS; 
1. TO NORTHERN MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE; 2. TO 
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT; 3. TO NORWICH THRICE; 4. 
TO THE CAPE —LETTERS OF MR. BACKUS TO HIS MOTHER; 1. SPECIAL VIEWS 
OP TRUTH; 2. COMFORT IN AFFLICTION; 8. CONCEALED PIETY; 4. SECOND 
BAPTIST CHURCH IN MIDDLEBORO' GATHERED; 5- SIGNS OF A REVIVAL. — 
LETTER TO REV, BENJAMIN WALLIN ; 1. MISTAKES OF THE PLANTERS OF 
NEW ENGLAND; 2. MINISTERIAL EDUCATION; 3. NOTICE OF THE GREAT 
AWAKENING; 4. REVIVALS. 

We have accompanied the subject of our narrative 
through a long period of inward conflict, and have seen 
the issue of his prayerful search for the path of duty. 
From this time to the close of his life, we shall find no 
traces of a mind wavering as to the proper constitution 
and ordinances of a christian church. Whether right or 
wrong in his belief, he was henceforth a Baptist, firm, con- 
sistent, earnest, charitable. 

Without turning back to rail at those whom he had left, 
his energies were faithfully applied to the great work of 
preaching Christ at home and by the way. From year to 
year the little church under his care grew in numbers and 
in strength ; neglected districts were made glad as lieroto- 
fore by his occasional but zealous proclamation of the Gos- 
pel ; and feeble interests were kept alive by liis wise coun- 
sels and stout-hearted fiiith. But for a considerable period 
Ave have no record of particular events in his life. 



130 ASSISTANCE IN PREACHING. 

The only memorials of this period, preserved to us from 
his own pen, consist of certain letters to his excellent 
mother, several sketches of preaching tours, and lists of 
the conversions which took place in his society, the persons 
whom he baptized, the texts from which he preached, and 
other items of a similar nature. From these sources it ap- 
pears that, during a space of eleven years, from 1756 to 
1767, he baptized sixty-two individuals, preached two 
thousand four hundred and twelve sermons, and trav- 
elled beyond the limits of his own parish' fourteen thous- 
and six hundred and ninety one miles. 

That this quiet, yet laborious and useful period of his 
life may not be altogether unknown to the reader, we 
have selected a few passages from his memoranda of jour- 
neys to preach the Word, and from the series of letters to 
his mother, mentioned above. 

Near the close of March, 1756, he started on a visit 
to Haverhill, Methuen, and Newton, New Hampshire. 
He was at Newton, Lord's day, March 28, and writes: 
"Preached twice to this people, and the Lord did draw 
near of a truth and give my soul sweet enlargement. Such 
bowels of compassion for sinners I have n't felt for a long 
while. Oh, that the Lord would appear for the deliverance 
of these precious souls ! " 

" March 30th (Methuen.) After meeting in the evening 
I spoke with a young woman who gave me a clear ac- 
count of her conversion. I hear that some others have 
been recently converted in this place. How blessed a 
thing it is to see a new-born soul ! " 

He reached home on Saturday, April 3d, and finding his 
family in good health, concludes thus : " The divine fav- 
ors have been distinguishing here ; and while I have been 
gone, the assistance which I have enjoyed in preaching 



A VISITING TOUR. 131 

and the conversions which I have seen among sinners, 
together with the language of new-born souls, have made 
it the most comfortable journey to me that I have taken 
this winter. Oh how reviving was it to hear in this dark 
day ' the voice of the turtle ' in our land ! " 

In October he made a journey, visiting several towns in 
Massachusetts and Connecticut. We take the following 
notices of it from his journal : 

" Oct. 18th. Came over (from Sutton) to Dr. Green's 
in Leicester ; and they were earnest for a meeting. So I 
tarried and j)reached, the Lord giving me special assist- 
ance." 

"Oct. 19th. I can but admire how the doctor is able to 
get along as he does ; having a great deal of farming busi- 
ness to manage; multitudes of sick to take care of; seve- 
ral apprentices to instruct in the art of physic ; and a 
church to care for and watch over; — yet in the midst of 
all he seems to keep religion ui3i3ermost, to have his mind 
bent upon divine things, and to be very bold in Christian 
conversation with all sorts of company." 

"Oct. 30th. (N'orwich). Found all my friends tolerably 
well, except aunt Lord and grandmother Backus. I found 
the latter still bent and engaged in divine things, though 
her bodily strength and her intellectual powers have ap- 
13arently decayed since I last saw her." 

"Nov. 4th. Took my leave of my dear mother and 
friends. Called to see grandmother; found her low in 
body and the tempter trying to worry her mind ; yet when 
she came to speak of her past experiences, both as to her 
conversion above sixty years ago, and as to several revivals 
since, she had a fresh taste of the same tiling and could 
not but own that God had done great things for her. She 
now looked to me like a shock of corn fully ripe and just 



132 AX ORDIXATION AND A WEDDIXG. 

ready to be gathered into the divine garner. I prayed 
with her and took my leave, never exj^ecting to see her 
again till we meet in glory." 

In September, 1757, he visited the Cape ; and his ac- 
count of an ordination at that time will be in place. 

" Sej^t. 28th. We proceeded to Yarmouth ; and for our 
satisfaction concerning elder Chase's gifts we prevailed 
with him to preach in the evening. And though in the 
fore part of his discourse he was straitened, yet afterwards 
he was more enlarged." 

" Sept. 29th. We met at the widow Clarke's in Harwich. 
Elder Round was chosen moderator and myself scribe. 
Their confession of faith and covenant, also their choice 
of Elder Chase and his acceptance thereof, were looked 
into and gave satisfaction. So we i^roceeded : — I preached 
a sermon from Malachi 3 : 6, with clearness of mind ; 
Elder Round offered the ordaining prayer, while both of us 
laid our hands on the candidate; after this he (Elder R.) 
gave the charge ; then I gave the right hand of fellowship 
and made the last prayer. Through the whole exercise 
good attention was given by the people, and there appeared 
evident movings of the divine Spirit in the assembly." 

The next day Mr. Backus attended a wedding at Truro, 
which is thus described : 

" We arrived near night, and found some hundreds of 
people assembled. So matters being prepared. Esquire 
Paine of that town married them ; while, at his motion, I 
prayed before, and gave a word of counsel after the trans- 
action. Then (also at his desire) brother Hinds offered 
prayer ; we sang part of the 45th Psalm, and brother Hinds 
preached an excellent sermon from Solomon's Song 5 : 9." 

In November, 1757, Mr. Backus paid a visit to Norwich, 
and thus writes : 



BACKUS IN HIS NATIVE PLACE. 133 

" ISTov. 28th. Preached in the evening at mother's ; and 
grandmother Backus came a mile on foot to meeting. As 
her natural strength holds out wonderfully (she being 
eighty-eight years old and upwards), so, though her mem- 
ory fails, her soul is most intensely engaged in pursuing the 
heavenly journey. Her discourse this night Avas very af- 
fecting ; may I never forget it ! " 

About a year later he was once more in his native place, 
and has left the following note : 

" Nov. 14, 1758. I visited my aged grandmother, who 
has lived to enter her ninetieth year ; and though her 
strength of memory is exceedingly broken, her strength 
of body remains, so that she can walk two miles a day. 
Her wisdom in divine things continues likewise, so that 
she can yet discourse wonderfully on the inside of religion. 
A hoary head is a crown of glory, when found in the Avay 
of righteousness." 

In August of the next year he made still another visit 
to Norwich, finding both his mother and grandmother 
alive and rejoicing in the service of Christ. We close 
these extracts with a passage from his account of a journey 
to the Cape. 

"May 25th (Truro). Preached three times at the house 
of brother Rich ; and though but few met together, yet 
God was evidently jDresent both by a spirit of conviction 
and also of consolation. I was favored with uncommon 
strength and solemnity in treating with immortal souls, as 
one who must give account of himself before God. , 

"May 26th. Came back to brother Harding's, and 
preached in the forenoon with real clearness ; but after 
meeting some found fault because I would not direct sin- 
ners to do something before they come to Clirist l)y faitli. 
This is indeed a cutting point to carnal liearts, and it 
12 



13-4 LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER. 

appears to be the hard saying which offended so many of 
Christ's nominal disciples of old. He asserted their per- 
ishing condition without Himself, and at the same time, 
that ' Xo man can come unto me except the Father draw 
him.' This was so offensive that many of them went 
back and walked no more with him. Yet if rightly con- 
sidered, the declaration that all the help for undone sinners 
is in Jesus Christ, is the most blessed news ever heard in 
these dark regions." 

The letters written by Mr. Backus to his mother breathe 
a most dutiful, affectionate and christian si^irit. If we 
may judge of his daily experience by these simple effu- 
sions of the heart, religion was constantly ujDpermost in 
his desires and aims ; he was strict in self-examination, 
importunate in prayer, and assiduous in the study of God's 
"Word. We do not recollect having ever seen so many 
letters, not treating jDrofessedly of religion, in which this 
divine theme occupied so large a place. The following 
specimens are submitted to the reader : 

" MlDDLEBORO', NoY. 29, 1756. 

" Dear Mother : I readily embrace this opportunity of 
informing you that I have been favored with comfortable 
health since I saw you. My wife and most of the children 
have been ill with colds, but we are now all about. The 
sickness round us is also abated ; though a terrible breach 
was made in our community while I was away. * * * In 
religion, things remain much as they have been of late. 
But yesterday morning, before day, my soul was favored 
with some siDCcial views of divine truth. I awoke with 
these words of our Lord in my mind : ' I speak not of 
myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the 
works J ' fi'om which I was led to see that if Christ spoke 



COMFORT IN AFFLICTION. 135 

and acted only by the Father who dwelt in him, then 
surely it is the greatest vanity for any of his peoi3le to 
think they can do anything without him. My soul had a 
view of the blessedness of yielding our powers of mind 
and members of body to his influence, to be improved en- 
tirely by him, and I was led to dedicate my all afresh to 
God, entreating him to cleanse my soul and body from 
every pollution and ever use my powers and members for 
his glory. And I trust he did in some measure use them 
that day to treat with immortal souls. To him be all the 
2flory J * * * * 

"My consort joins me in duty to you and in affectionate 
regards to our brothers and sisters. * * * * 
From your obedient son, 

Isaac Backus." 

"MiDDLEBORo', March 22, 1757. 

"My Dear Mother: As the Holy Ghost witnessed to 
the apostle Paul, that in every city bonds and afflictions 
awaited him, so the Scriptures and our constant experience 
show that sorrows and troubles attend us in all our journey 
through this thorny maze. Some rumor of death among 
my friends I heard in January, but I had no i^articular 
intelligence until the 14th of February. I was then in- 
formed that grandmother Backus, sister Abell, and Rufus, 
were dead. About that time I met with several trials of 
another nature, by all of which my thoughts were turned 
upon 1 Pet. 1 : 16., and I preached from this text the next 
Sabbath. I was led to observe : (1) That manifold trinls 
attend God's people in this world. (2) That these are 
sent because we have need of them ; * * * to kill pride, 
to cure us of worldly mindedness and love to the creature, 
to rouse us from our sloth, and to quicken our rc^gard to 



136 CONCEALED PIETY. 

eternal things, etc. (3) That these temptations and sor- 
rows continue but for a short season. And, (4) That in 
the midst of them God gives his saints springs of great joy. 
And blessed be the name of the Lord, I did not preach an 
unfelt religion. I have seldom seen affliction bear a more 
pleasant face than it did then. * * * * 

"Last week I j^reached in Dartmouth and Rochester, 
where many thoughtless souls have been awakened to 
some concern about their eternal w^elfare ; * * * and it is 
observable that in the former stir these towns were almost 
entirely passed by. * * * My companion joins me in duti- 
ful respects to you, feeling some sympathy ^\dth your vari- 
ous afflictions. * * * * 

"Xo more at present, from your obedient son, 

Isaac Backus." 

" MlDDLEBORO', AuG. 29, 1757. 

" Bei^oted Mothee : These lines come with my dutiful 
regards to you, and love to my brothers and sisters ; and 
to inform you that we are still continued m health through 
God's forbearing mercy. * * * * ^"e have much cause to 
lament our coldness and the stupidity w^hich prevails. Of 
late, the mere liberty we still have of meeting freely for 
divine worshij), has appeared to me a great thing; how" 
long it may be allowed us, God only know^s. Yet we have 
not only this privilege, but some tokens also of God's pre- 
sence in these dark times. A week ago yesterday, a man 
from Kaynham joined this church. For many years he 
has a2)peared to be a sober man, but much reserved ; and 
with many others I was not aw^are of any special change 
in his feelings. So foolish was I, that when he talked of 
offering himself pubUcly, I felt in my heart unwilling to 
have him do this. Yet he gave such a relation of experi- 



SECOND BAPTIST CHURCII IN MIDDLEBORO'. 137 

ence as carried conviction, I believe, to every conscience 
present, that he had been really born of God. And what 
is more wonderful still, this work was experienced twenty- 
three years ago, in the seventeenth year of his age, in dark 
times where he heard none speak of vital piety. But the 
Lord found a way to his heart by means of afflictive pro- 
vidences, etc. * * * * 

" I remain your dutiful son, 

I. Backus." 

" MiDDLEBORo', Teb. 12, 1758. 

" Loving Mother : * * * * a church was gathered in 
the south part of our town on the sixteenth of November, 
and brother Hinds was ordained pastor, January 26th past. 
I was over there again at the ordination of their deacons 
last Thursday; and I can but hope that God has many 
blessings in store for that people. Week before last I 
preached on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, among 
the old Baptist Societies in Rehoboth and Swanzey ; and 
souls seemed to drink in the Word, as the thirsty earth 
does the rain. There is an encouraging prospect of a glo- 
rious work of grace in that region, where Arminianism has 
so long prevailed. * * * * I must conclude with those 
dutiful regards which are ever due from your obedient 
son, 

I. Backus." 

" MlDDLEBORO', AuG. 4, 1762. 

"Honored and beloved Mother: With joy I embrace 
this opportunity to write you. I have often had reason to 
mention with thankfulness, that we and our neighbors are 
favored with health, even as now ; but I have still better 
news to send you to-day, namely, that King Jesus is evi- 

12* 



138 SK^XS OF A REVIVAL. 

d en tly returning to visit us with tlie blessings of his grace. 
Some tokens of his approaches I have seen for many 
months past, but lately we have had more visible signs of 
his presence. Lord's day, July 11th, I exchanged with 
brother Carpenter of Xorton ; he preached three times 
here, and among other ]ia2)py effects, two souls, we believe 
were savingly converted ; and on July 24th, a man above 
forty years old met with a great change at home ; I hope 
a saving one. People generally not only flock to hear 
preaching, but they have also set up neighborhood meet- 
ings for prayer, exhortation, etc. * * * * " 

"MlDDLEBORO^ SePT. 27, 1762. 

"Beloved Mother : I wrote to you some time ago of the 
work at Fresh Meadows, and that two or three were hoj^e- 
fully converted among us in July. I have now the com- 
fort of saying that the work prevails and increases among 
us still. A young woman was brought out of darkness 
into marvellous lio'ht at a meetins; on the 3d inst. This 
had a great influence upon others, and many are now 
under concern. Yea, in truth, the fields appear to me to 
be white unto the harvest. I daily look upon myself as a 
vile creature, yet the worth of souls and the great concerns 
of the kingdom of Christ, have, I think, engaged my mind 
as fully as ever in my life, to labor in his vineyard. Oh, 
these are golden moments, and woe to those who trifle 

them away. 

So I remain, 

Ever yours, 

Isaac Backus," 

It would be easy to fill many pages with extracts similar 
to those now given from the letters of Mr. Backus to his 
mother. And, as we have before remarked, her letters to 






LETTER TO REV. BENJ. WALLIN. 139 

him were equally spiritual. Their thoughts were busy a 
large part of the time about the affairs of the Saviour's 
kingdom, and they gave free expression to these thoughts 
in a delightful correspondence ; from which, however, we 
must now turn reluctantly away. 

Part of a letter to Rev. Benjamin Wallin of London, will 
furnish a fitting conclusion to this chapter. 

"Nov. 16, 1764. 

" * * * * New England, I suppose you know, consists of 
four governments, (formerly of seven) ; three of which, viz.5 
the provinces of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and 
the colony of Connecticut, were planted for the most part 
by Christians of the Congregational persuasion. Many of 
them were eminent for religion in its life and power. Yet 
they had their mistakes; and among these this may be 
reckoned a great one, viz., that they were not content with 
establishing their religion by the civil law, and taxing the 
inhabitants generally to support it, but they also undertook 
to keep out errors by the civil j)ower. Many, therefore, 
who appeared to be of different sentiments from them- 
selves, were disciplined by their courts, and at last ban- 
ished. This gave birth to Rhode Island Colony, where 
many Baptists, Quakers, and others, repaired and obtained 
a charter from home. 

" Such treatment, you may easily imagine, laid the foun- 
dation for stronger bars between them than the colony 
lines ; and they have been handed down to posterity, even 
to this day. And as two schools or colleges were erected, 
one at Cambridge, and the other at New Haven, to edu- 
cate persons for the ministry, so by degrees it got to be a 
received point with the Pedobaptists in general, tluit none 
might be admitted into the ministry but such as were edu- 



140 PREJUDICES AGAINST LEAllNED MINISTERS. 

cated there; while all such, in general, might, if they 
would. Moreover, as many people were comjDelled to 
support such ministers, contrary to their minds, strong 
prejudices were aroused in the minds of great numbers, 
against learning and supporting ministers, so that a great 
part of the Baptist ministers in the country have had but 
little either of learning or of support from the peoi^le. The 
consequences, on the one hand, of setting up human learn- 
ing as a principal thing in a minister, and on the other 
hand, of this prejudice against it, you may well think, have 
been very melancholy. Indeed, we were reduced to such 
a state that our Lord's charge against the church of Sar- 
dis,^ was eminently true of Xew England generally. In 
such an awful state we lay, when He whose thoughts and 
ways are not like ours, instead of destroying us with his 
vengeance, appeared in the latter part of the year 1740, in 
a marvellous manner, to jDour out of his Spirit for the con-' 
viction and conversion of great numbers ; and the work 
prevailed gloriously through the following year in various 
parts of the land. 

" But the instruments used therein, being nearly all Pe- 
dobaptists, against whom the BajDtists had a strong preju- 
dice, most of the latter were very much barred against the 
work. It may be further observed, that a number of min- 
isters of the common denomination were much used in 
that work, while many others of them bitterly opposed it 
and called it delusion. The work was also greatly pro- 
moted by private meetings for j^rayer, exhortation, etc.; 
and in process of time, some gifted brethren were moved 
to teach and expound the Scriptures, frequently to the sat- 
isfaction of many. But this was soon called an intrusion 
into the ministerial office. And as the former sentiments 

1 Rev. Chap. 3cl. 



ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE. 141 

were still held that none should be received into the min- 
istry but such as were educated for that purpose, the min- 
isters in general, both those who had favored and those 
who had opposed that blessed revival of religion, united 
their power and endeavored to stop all such proceedings. 
This caused many struggles and contentions among us, 
which issued in a separation of many from the established 
ministers and churches. The civil authorities exerted 
themselves not a little to reclaim these, but this only made 
the breach wider, and it would weary your patience to hear 
of the effects produced by all these movements. Many said 
that the state of religion was worse among us than before 
the revival. 

"Well, in the year 1749, the pure doctrines of grace in 
their power gained considerable ground in several places 
of Rhode Island Colony, where ignorance and irreligion 
had terribly prevailed. And about the same time, the doc- 
trine of believers' baptism obtained a footing in several of 
our Separate congregations in the other governments. 
Among these, ours was one, though the hot disputes which 
ensued seemed as if they would have eaten out all the life 
of religion. And to add to our other calamities, there 
appeared in some places, as zealous advocates for that doc- 
trine, a number of persons who assumed the power to bap- 
tize without any ordination, and some of them went so fir 
as to declare in express terms, that they were perfect and 
immortal, — whose folly has since been manifest to all 
men. 

"From these hints you may form some conception of the 
mountains of difficulty wdth which God's jieople seemed to 
be encompassed on every side ; and we might well say: 
'By whom shall Jacob arise, for he is small?' Yet ho 
who makes the mountains flow down at liis presence, has 



142 NOTICES OF REVIVALS. 

of late appeared, to work like himself. Things have been 
on the gaining hand among us for these seven years, and 
two or three years ago, there were several remarkable sea- 
sons of conviction and conversion in sundry places, and so 
at times since ; and it seems like Ezekiel's waters, to rise 
hio-her and hisfher. 

" I have had many direct accounts of a revival, which 
commenced at IjDSwich about the beginning of last Avinter, 
and has so prevailed that near or quite a hundred souls, it is 
thought, have been converted there since. The work has 
spread into Newbury and other jDlaces lying thirty or forty 
miles north-east of Boston, and also into several parts of 
the i^rovince of Xew Hampshire, from which I have had 
very late intelligence of a good time. We have not been 
without some sprinklings of this s^^intual shower in our 
society, and we hoj^e for a greater rain. Oh, that it may 
be hastened ! I have not only heard but seen great things 
elsewhere. In the town of Providence, which is very pop- 
ulous, and which has been a place of much profaneness and 
irreligion, a revival began about the middle of last winter, 
and increased through the sirring, and has affected all sorts 
of people. Some deists, leaders in gaming, and many pro- 
fane i^ersons, as well as others more civil, have been hope- 
fully converted. I have been among them sundry times, 
and the joy of seeing such a marvellous change in the 
town, is better felt than expressed. To hear the profane 
praising Jesus, to see the irreligious thronging to a place 
of divine worship, and to discover such a heavenly temper 
in many, was surely enough to fill a cold heart with love 
and praise. * * * * Yet I must not omit the place of my 
nativity. I was there about a year ago, and the face of 
things in that part of the town where I was born appeared 
to me more melancholy than I had known it to be for 



REVIVALS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY. 1-13 

twenty years. But a revival began soon after and in- 
creased to a blessed degree. I was there to see a dying 
brother, in February, and the satisfaction which I had from 
what then appeared of the work, quite overwhelmed the 
sorrow of parting with a near friend. Tet much greater 
things have been seen there since. These glorious visita- 
tions have not been confined to New England. I have 
seen three written accounts from Mr. S. Buel, a Presbyte- 
rian minister at East Hampton, on Long Island, in the pro- 
vince of New York, of a work begun there last winter, 
which has exceeded what has been described in any of the 
above mentioned places. Among the rest, he says, there 
has been a Jew remarkably converted; and I hear that the 
work spreads over a great j^^i't of that island. And Mr. 
James Manning, a young man of our persuasion, who was 
educated at the college of New Jersey, and came from 
there ^to settle in Warren, R. I., informed me last week 
that he had very late intelligence of a great work going on 
and increasing in various parts of New Jersey, also in the 
city of New York, and a great deal of it among the peo- 
ple of our denomination. * * * * Oh, for a heart ever to 
glorify our God for these astonishing wOnders to the chil- 
dren of men! 

"Dear Sir, I hope you, and the people of God with you, 
will help us to praise and pray also ; for, indeed, a great 
and effectual door is opened unto us, and there are many 
adversaries. An old saint, who formerly came from Eng- 
land, but died in my native place, once said that she never 
went to God for another without getting something for 
herself. May King Jesus go on still, from conquering to 
conquer in these ends of the world, and also return with 
increasing displays of his glory to our Mother Island ! 
which is the unfeigned prayer of your younger brother, 

Isaac Backus." 



CHAPTER XI. 

WIDER INFLUENCE. 

DISCOimSE, THE n01ST> WOMAN AIND THE FREE.— LETTER TO DR. LORD OF Ts'OR- 
WICH. — WAR ADVERSE TO PIETiT. — DISCOURSE ON THE DUTY OF FAMILY 
PRAYER. — DISCOURSE, TRUE FAITH WILL PRODUCE GOOD WORKS, AGAINST 
SANDEMANIANISM. — FOUNDING OF RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE. — LETTER TO 
GILL. — IS A TRUSTEE OF THE COLLEGE THIRTY-FOUR YEARS. — FORMATION 
OF THE WARREN ASSOCIATION. — ITS USEFULNESS. 

Immediately after the organization of the Baptist 
church in Titicut, Mr. Backus published a discourse on 
" The Diiference between the Bond-woman and the Free, ' 
showing in particular " that none are proper subjects of 
the sj^ecial ordinances of the gospel church but real 
saints." In 1763 he j^^blished another discourse, main- 
taining that "spiritual ignorance causeth men to coun- 
teract their doctrinal knowledge." From this sermon we 
make the following extract, which indicates the reason for 
its publication: "After great declensions and stupidity, 
and the awful ^^revailing of iniquity in our land, the Lord 
has been pleased, in infinite mercy, to revive his work in 
various places, particularly in Middleboro' and the borders 
of some towns adjoining ; and yet great numbers, both of 
ministers and people, treat it either with disregard or opjDO- 
sition, notwithstanding the evidences of its being a divine 
work are siich as these : namely, many that formerly scarce 
showed any regard to religion, and rarely attended public 



CHARACTEK OF CONVERTS. 145 

worsliip, now rarely neglect any stated or occasional op- 
portunity to hear the Gospel preached; great numbers of 
young people who were before bent upon vanity, now show 
more engagement and delight in religious exercises, public 
and private, than they ever did in their merry meetings ; 
some intemperate persons are become sober and regular in 
their conduct ; many that were inordinately bent after the 
world, are brought to lament their folly in pursuing earthly 
things to the neglect of heavenly ; numbers which had old 
grudges are reconciled, etc. Those who are looked upon 
to be converted, though many circumstances of their 
change are various, yet all agree in acknowledging the 
purity and strictness of the divine law, and that their 
hearts as well as lives have been filled with sin ; and from 
thence give in to the justice of God in their condemnation, 
and hold their justification to be entirely by Christ's right- 
eousness, received by faith. Yet a view of that is so far 
from making them careless in their behavior, that they 
discover an earnest desire to know and conform to all 
Christ's commands and ordinances. They show much 
love to God's people, earnest concern for the salvation of 
souls, and the like. Indeed, I am far from thinking that 
there has been no intermixture of things that are not 
good ; though, from the most careful observations that I 
have been able to make, I really believe that this work 
has been more clear from such things than the work was 
twenty-one years ago; particularly the impressions that 
have been made, either of a sorrowful or joyful nature, 
have been more upon the understanding, and less on the 
imagination, now than then. Hence I have heard of no 
trances among us ; alsoj^hristians have been more solemn 
in their joys and less bitter in their zeal, than in the former 
work." 

13 



146 LETTER TO DR. LORD. 

In 1764 he published a letter to his former pastor, IVil^ 
Benjamin Lord, of Norwich, who had put in print "some _ 
harsh things * * against those who have dissented from ■! 
his sentiments about the ministry, the church, and bap- 
tism." Mr. Lord had declared, for example, that no just 
cause of withdrawment from the standing order could be 
produced by the New-Lights. He had charged " those that f i 
imagine the fulness of the Spirit (or singular gifts which 
they think they possess) doth warrant their assuming the 
character and entering on the work of ministers of Christ," 
with coveting to be " above their Master." And he had 
joined with six neighboring ministers in saying : "Do not 
the late separations, and one separation from another, 
already discover their nature by their fruits ? in that some 
have by this time apostatized even from all religion ; while 
some others are renouncing infant baptism, and going fast 
to the like dreadful apostasy. It is hid from them that 
* evil men and seducers wax worse and worse ' ; it is hid 
from them, or rather they will ngt see, that they have fell 
iiito the way of Cain^ and are in danger oi perishing in the 
gainsaying of CoreP 

In reply to these charges, Mr. Backus explained and vin- 
dicated his belief, and that of the New-Lights generally, 
respecting an internal call to preach the gospel. He then 
proceeded to show that the right to ordain ministers is 
vested in the church and not in the clergy alone. Finally, 
he defends the doctrine of believers' baptism as scriptural, 
and repudiates that of infant baptism as unscriptural. We 
cite the following recapitulation of his argument : 

"Now, sir, since Christ's forerunner warned the Jews 
against thinking to come to baptism in Abraham's right, 
and told them they must bring forth fruits meet for repent- 
ance ; since Christ himself called little children to come to 



RECAPITULATION OF ITS ARGUMENTS. 147 

him, but says not a word of their being brought to bap- 
tism before they do come to him ; yea, instead of that, he, 
in the commission, orders that all nations be taught and 
helieve before they are baptized ; and since his ministers, 
in obedience thereto, baptized those that gladly received 
the Word at Jerusalem, those that believed Philip's preach- 
ing in Samaria, and such as heard and believed at Corinth, 
etc., but there is no account of their baptizing any but 
such; — and, on the other hand, since God declares that 
the new covenant is not according to that which he made 
with Israel when he brought them out of Egypt, and 
that one special difference is, that all who are in this cov- 
enant know him and have his law written in their hearts ; 
and since no custom like circumcising children on their 
parents' account was to be observed among the believing 
Gentiles ; — I dare not follow the multitude in bringing 
children to the initiating ordinance of the gospel church 
on their parents' faith, let there be as great or good men 
as there will that do it, knowing that I have but one Master 
in all these things, to whom I must give account. And I 
believe his orders are, that none should be admitted into 
the ministry but " faithful men," or " men full of faith and 
the Holy Ghost ; " and that none ought to be received into 
the church but real believers, that is, those that give credi- 
ble evidence of saving faith." 

But his attention was not directed solely to denomina- 
tional questions. It is evident from his private memoranda 
that he earnestly longed for an increase of vital godliness 
in the saints, and carefully observed the religious tenden- 
cies of society from year .to year. He often referred, in 
language of great solicitude, to the signs of the times in 
this respect. When he perceived indications of a genuine 
revival, his mouth was filled with praise; but when the 



148 WAR ADVERSE TO RELIGION. 

hearts of men seemed to be drawn away from the service 
of God, he made record of the fact with mourning. While 
the French and English war was in progress, he had fre- 
quent occasion to lament its effects uj^on the state of relig- 
ion. In a letter to his mother, June 9, 1745, he says : 
" The world seems in great commotion and extensive war- 
like jDreparations are making among us. Many appear 
very light and vain in their going forth, and a general 
stupidity prevails over the land. But I am ready to look 
upon these things as the beginnings of sorrow. What the 
end mil be God only knows. Oh, may he prepare us for 
his holy will!" 

After mentioning, in a subsequent letter, May 27, 1756, 
that -scarce one of the soldiers who had lately returned 
from ]^ova Scotia had escaped a fit of sickness, he adds : 
" As to religion, it is a time of hardness among sinners, and 
most of the saints seem very dull." In another letter, 
dated March 22, 1757, he remarks: "Affairs in general 
look very dark for our land. Sixteen men are now called 
for, out of our town, to go into the war, and scarce a man 
goes without being hired. Generally the price is fifty or 
sixty dollars, and some have seventy; which lays heav^y 
burdens on the poor. And worst of all, the complaint in 
Amos 4th is justly made against us : ' Yet have ye not 
returned unto me, saith the Lord.' " A year later. May 
10, 1758, he writes: "'Tis remarkable to see what a mar- 
tial spirit prevails among us. Xearly twenty soldiers are 
going out of Titicut precinct ; among whom are brethren 
Harvey, Cami^bell and Wood; likewise Joshua Fobes, 
John Wood, and many others who attend our meeting. * * 
There appears in our parts of the land an uncommon for- 
wardness to enlist." Two months later, July 22, 1 758, 
he employs the following language: "The rumors of 



DISCOURSE ON FAMILY PRAYER. 149 

slaughter and garments rolled in blood, which we have 
from om- army, fill many with distressing agitations of 
mind. * * The absence of so many in the war seems to 
form an excuse for those w^ho are left to spend all their 
time in the world, and God knows how much of the heart 
is there also. Thus the means which he is using to show 
us the vanity of earthly things are perverted to ensnare 
our souls therein. Miserable creatures that w^e are ! " 
These extracts illustrate the interest which he felt in cur- 
rent events as related to the kingdom of Christ, and his 
perpetual solicitude for the increase of vital piety. 

In 1766 he published a discourse on the duty of family 
prayer. His reasons for this step are thus given in a pre- 
fatory note to the reader: "New England has formerly 
been a place famous for religion in general, and for family 
worship in particular. But of late, the neglect of this, as 
well as of other religious duties, has evidently been grow- 
ing upon us ; w^hich has caused much grief to j^ious souls. 
But I have not heard that any discourse has been published 
upon this subject here these many years. And as there 
have lately been numbers remarkably awakened in some 
parts of the land, who were trained up in the neglect of 
family prayer, and who are still at a loss about the scri^Dtu- 
ral authority for the daily practice thereof; therefore the 
following considerations, by the advice of friends, are 
humbly offered to the public." It is not too much to say 
of this sermon, that the argument is Biblical and convinc- 
ing, the reply to objections thorough and fair, the applica- 
tion full, earnest and direct. 

In the autumn of 1764, Robert Sandeman came over 
from Scotland to America, and, after travelling somew' hat 
extensively, gathered a church in Portsmouth, New Hamp- 
shire. Within two years, however, this church was scat- 

13* 



150 SANDEMANIANISM. 

tered, and Mr. Sandeman became pastor of a small society 
in Boston, Massachusetts. His peculiar views must be 
known to most of our readers, through the writings of An- 
drew Fuller, who, at a later period, exposed their unscrip- 
tural character with signal ability.^ To counteract the in- 
fluence of this man, as well as to clear the Calvinistic doc- 
trines of grace from undeserved reproach, Mr. Backus, who 
had become a very well read and discriminating theologian, 
published a discourse, in 1767, from the words : "Purifying 
their hearts by faith," ^ and bearing the title, "True Faith 
will produce good Works." From the introduction, we 
select the following paragraphs, as casting light upon the 
period before us : 

" The neglect of right conduct in many who have made 
great professions of faith, has given occasion for the build- 
ers on works to exert themselves afresh ; and the writings 
of a religious nature, which have had the most current 
spread in this land for some years past, are such as, under 
the jDretence of promoting morality and good order, have 
been levelled against many of the peculiar doctrines of 
Christianity; yea, some of them even against the true 
deity of its great Author. 

"In the mean time, we have one (Mr. Sandeman) who 
makes a show of appearing for those great doctrines, and 
to stir people up to look into them, that yet has artfully 
mixed such a potion as tends to settle men in a dead sleep. 
And since his writings have been a means of hardening 
many in iniquity, and of entangling or per23lexing some 
serious minds, I shall attempt to jDoint out some i^ernicious 
principles which he has intersj^ersed among many choice 
truths." 

Before closing this chapter, it is projDcr to notice two 

1 See Appendix, C. 2 Acts 15 : 9. 



FOUNDING OF R. I. COLLEGE. 151 

imj)ortant and progressive movements of our denomina- 
tion, namely, the founding of a college in Rhode Island, 
and the formation of the Warren Association. Since the 
year 1707, the Philadelphia Baptist Association had been 
in existence, and at an early period had begun to project 
plans for the education of a suitable ministry. In 1762, 
this association was led, by the influence of Rev. Morgan 
Edwards and others, to form the design of establishing, in 
Rhode Island, " under the chief direction of the Baptists, 
a college in which education might be promoted, and 
superior learning obtained, free from any sectarian religious 
tests." ^ The leader selected for this important work was 
the Rev. James Manning, a native of New Jersey, and 
recently a graduate at Princeton. In July, 1763, he ac- 
cordingly visited Newport, and proposed the subject of 
his mission to several gentlemen of the Baptist denomina- 
tion ; among whom were the Hon. Samuel Ward, Governor 
of the Colony, Hon. Josiah Lyndon, who was afterwards 
Governor, CoL John Gardiner, Deputy Governor, and 
twelve others of the same persuasion. They readily con- 
curred with the proposal, and at once entered upon the 
measures necessary for the accomplishment of the object. 
After various struggles and difficulties, a charter, reflecting 
the liberal sentiments of the people in matters of religion, 
was obtained from the Legislature, in February, 1764, "for 
a college or university, in the English Colony of Rhode 
Island," etc. One provision of this charter is as follows : 
" And furthermore, it is hereby enacted and declared. That 
into this liberal and catholic institution shall never be 
admitted any religious tests ; but, on the contrary, all the 
members hereof shall forever enjoy full, free, absolute, iin- 
interruj^ted liberty of conscience ; and tliat the places of 

1 Backus' History, Vol. II., Chap. 13. 



152 EXTRACT FROM THE COLLEGE CHARTER. 

Professors, Tutors, and all other officers, the President 
alone excepted, shall be free and open for all denomina- 
tions of Protestants ; and that youth, of all religious de- 
nominations, shall and may be freely admitted to the equal 
advantages, emoluments, and honors of the college or 
university, and shall receive a like fair, generous, and equal 
treatment during their residence therein, they conducting 
themselves peaceably, and conforming to the laws and 
statutes thereof; and that the public teaching shall, in 
general, respect the sciences ; and that the sectarian differ- 
ences of opinions shall not make any part of the public 
and classical instruction " 

" The government of the college is vested in a Board 
of Fellows, consisting of twelve members, of whom eight, 
including the President, must be Baptists; and a Board 
of Trustees, consisting of thirty-six members, of whom 
twenty-two must be Baptists, five Friends or Quakers, 
four Congregation alists, and five Episcopalians. These 
represent the different denominations existing in the State 
when the charter was obtained. The instruction and im- 
mediate government of the college rests in the President 
and Board of Fellows." ^ 

Mr. Backus felt a lively interest in this college from the 
beginning. In 1765 he was chosen a member of the Board 
of Trustees, and continued to serve the institution in this 
capacity thirty-four years. A letter from his pen to Dr. 
Gill, with whom he corresponded for many years, will indi- 
cate his feelings at the beginning of this enterprise. 

"Rev. and Dear Sir: — I did not think of writing to 
you again till I should hear from you, which I am hoping 

1 Taken from a sketch of Brown University, by its accomplished Libra- 
rian, R. N. Guild. 



LETTER TO DR. GILL. 153 

and expecting to do ; but an occasion has presented itself, 
which I have thought it expedient to take notice of. To 
introduce this, it may be proper to give a little sketch of 
the state of the Baptist churches in our land. One grand 
objection made use of against believers' baptism, has been 
that none but ignorant and illiterate men have embraced 
Baptist sentiments. And there was so much color for it 
as this, namely, that ten years ago, there were but two 
Baptist ministers,^ in all New England, who had what is 
called a liberal education ; and they were not clear in the 
doctrines of grace. But three others have lately come 
from the Southern governments, namely: Mr. Samuel Still- 
man, who is settled in Boston ; Mr. Hezekiah Smith, who 
has had remarkable success at Haverhill, where he has 
gathered a large society ; and Mr. James Manning, who is 
settled at Warren, Rhode Island. And as the Baptists have 
met with a great deal of abuse from those who are called 
learned men in our land, they have been not a little preju- 
diced against learning itself; but latterly there has been 
considerable alteration in this respect. A charter was 
obtained from the General Court of Rhode Island Colony, 
in February, 1764, incorporating a number of Trustees 
and Fellows, for founding and endowing a college for the 
education of youth (of which you will be likely to hear 
more in due time) ; and this corporation, at their annual 
meeting, last September, chose the aforesaid Mr. Manning 
President. He has commenced a school, which appears in 
a likely way to increase fast. But as there are scarce any 
books, suitable for such business, to be sold in that colony, 
he has thought of sending to London for a quantity; and 
as he is unknown there, he requested that I would write a 
few lines in his favor. Therefore, my dear sir, if my poor 

1 Mr. Jcremiali Condy, of Boston, and Mr. Upluim, of Newport, R. L 



154 BACKUS A TRUSTEE OF THE COLLEGE. 

testimony may be thought worthy of any notice, I desire 
that you would mention to Mr. Keith, to whom he has 
thoughts of sending, that from near two years' acquaint- 
ance with him, I am well satisfied that he is a man of 
piety, integrity and ability, who will make conscience of 
fulfilling his engagements. 

I remain, Sir, your humble servant, 

Isaac Backus." 

This letter appears to have been written in the early 
part of 1765. In 1799, he resigned his place on the Board, 
not, however, as mil be seen by the following correspond- 
ence, from any diminution of interest in the college, but 
from inability to serve it longer : 

"To the Corporation of Rhode Island College : 

" Reveeexd and Ho^s^oeed Gextlemex : Having been a 
member of this corporation above thirty years, in which it 
has advanced from small beginnings to great responsi- 
bility, * * * * as my age and infirmities are such as to 
render it very difficult to attend your meetings any longer, 
I request liberty to resign my place in your corporation ; 
praying that the divine blessing may ever attend the sem- 
inary of learning, for the good of mankind, to the latest 
generations. 

I remain your hearty friend and servant, 

Isaac Backus. 

MiDDLEBORo', Sept. 2, 1799." 

" College Chapel, Providence, Sept. 5, 1799. 
"At a meeting of the corporation, this day, voted. That 
the thanks of this corporation be presented to the Rev. 
Isaac Backus, for his long, eminent, and faithful services 
as a member of the incorporation. 

George Bensoi^, Deputy Secretary." 



POKMATIOIS' OF WARREN ASSOCIATION. 155 

The Warren Association was formed in 1767 ; and 
chiefly, it is said, by the efforts of James Manning, Presi- 
dent of the infant college then located in Warren. Mr. 
Backus, who was chosen clerk of the first meeting, thus 
commences the minutes of this association : " Whereas 
there hath of late years been a great increase of Baj^tist 
churches in Ne^^ England, which yet have not such an 
acquaintance with each other and orderly union together 
as ought to be, it has been thought by many that a 
general meeting or association might be a likely means 
to remove this evil and to promote the general good of 
the churches. Therefore a number of elders, being oc- 
casionally together last year, did appoint a meeting at 
Warren in Rhode Island colony, on September 8, 1767 ; 
and sent an invitation to others of their brethren to meet 
them there, to confer upon these affairs. Accordingly, a 
considerable number of elders and brethren met at the 
time and place appointed ; and elder John Gano, from 
New York, opened the meeting with a suitable sermon 
from Acts 15 : 9." ^ 

Eleven churches were represented at this meeting ; but 
although " they generally manifested a good will toward 
this attempt for promoting the union and welfare of the 
churches, most of them thought they were not prepared 
to join in an association." The pastors and messengers 
of but four churches were at this time ready to unite. 
The other brethren present seem to have hesitated through 
fear of some usurpation of authority by the associated body 
over the particular churches composing it ; an evil which 
they were determined, if possible, to avoid. Besides, they 
were not altogether satisfied with the plan of organization 

and action now adopted. This plan was borrowed sub- 

• 

1 See Appendix D. 



156 

stantially from the Philadelphia Association, and was thought 
to give undue authority to the united body. It was, how- 
ever, soon after so explained and amended as to be less 
exceptionable to the churches. Yet ultimately, a new plan, 
drawn up by President Manning, was substituted for the 
original one ; and gradually the association won the con- 
fidence of nearly all the Baptists of New England.^ It 
linked together the scattered and feeble churches of our 
communion by a yearly meeting ; it provided supplies for 
many a little flock which could not sustain a pastor ; it 
transmitted pecuniary assistance to young men who were 
studying for the ministry ; it encouraged those who were 
called to bear the spoiling of their goods ; it sent forth 
appeals in behalf of religious liberty which hastened the 
separation of church and state ; and it contributed in va- 
rious ways to the spread of truth and the increase of 
piety. In the progress of our narrative we shall have oc- 
casion frequently to notice the enterprise and usefulness 
of the Warren Association ; the earliest fraternal organiza- 
tion which united the Baptist churches of New England. 

1 The first Baptist church in Middleboro' united with the association in 
1770. *' They waited/' says Mr. Backus, " until they could be satisfied 
that this association did not assume any jurisdiction over the churches, 
before they joined. And they now joined upon the express condition 
that no complaint should ever be received by the association against any 
particular church that was not of the association, nor from any censured 
member of any of our churches." 



CHAPTER XII, 

LEGISLATION FOR THE CHURCH. 

REASONS FOR DESCRIBING MR. BACKUS'S EFFORTS FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 
— SKETCH OF EARLIER LEGISLATION FOR THE CHURCH DESIRABLE. — PAR- 
TICULAR LAWS. — ROGER WILLIAMS BANISHED. — LAWS AGAINST QUAKERS. 
OTHER LAWS. — CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. — MALDEN CHURCH FINED. — OBA- 
DIAH HOLMES WHIPPED. — LAWS AGAINST QUAKERS. — FOUR EXECUTED.— 
APOLOGY FOR THIS ACT. — BAPTIST MEETING IN BOSTON. — DECLENSION IN 
PIETY. — THE NEW CHARTER. — BAPTISTS TAXED UNTIL 1728. — ACTS OP 
EXEMPTION PASSED, IN 1728. —IN 1729. — IN 1734. — IN 1740. —IN 1747. —IN 
1753. — IN 1757. 

' To pass by in silence the exertions of Mr. Backus in be- 
half -of religious liberty would be at once unjust and un- 
grateful ; unjust, because those exertions are to be classed 
with the most resolute, conscientious and protracted labors 
of his life; and ungrateful, because we. are enjoying this 
day a " freedom to worship God," which is to a consider- 
able extent the fruit of his faith and perseverance. " With 
a great sum " did the fathers of our denomination in New 
England obtain that religious equality w^hich is our ac- 
knowledged birthright. They were driven into the wil- 
derness, were scourged by order of the civil power, were 
spoiled of their goods, were cast into prison, were pelted 
by the violence of mobs, were falsely accused, were reviled 
and defamed and treated as the filth and offscouring of man- 
kind ; their principles were caricatured, their purposes nia- 
nigned, their integrity questioned their petitions slighted, 

14 



158 backus' S LABORS FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 

and their hopes deferred ; yet trusting in God they were 
in general true to their Master and their mission, while not 
a few of them, like the subject of this narrative, were dis- 
tinguished for their moral courage and their assurance of 
ultimate deliverance. It would therefore be most ungrate- 
ful in us to exclude from this account a record of their ex- 
ertions to establish religious equaUty. 

But besides what is due to the memory of those who 
were ready to suffer loss, in order to secure the triumph of 
right principles, something also is due to those now living, 
and to those who will come after us, lest some of them by 
reason of ignorance should be left to undervalue their birth- 
right of soul-liberty. We shall therefore give our readers 
some account of the labors which Mr. Backus performed in 
this department of christian service. 

And for the purpose of assisting them to appreciate more 
fully the nature and the need of those labors, we shall, in 
the present chapter, briefly trace the course of action on 
religious affairs pursued by the civil authorities of Massa- 
chusetts, from the planting of this colony down to the 
period when his labors were commenced. In view of the 
object contemplated, the value and interest of this sketch 
will be increased by presenting it, for the most part, in the 
language of authoritative documents. 

In 1631, the General Court of Massachusetts "ordered 
and agreed that, for time to come, no man shall be ad- 
mitted to the freedom of this body politic, but such as 
are members of some of the churches within the limits of 
the same." Four years later, the elders and brethren of 
every church within the jurisdiction were entreated to 
" consult and advise of one uniform order of discipline in 
the churches, agreeable to the Scriptures, and then to con- 
sider how far the magistrates are bound to interfere for the 



ACTION OF MASSACHUSETTS GENEEAL COURT. 159 

preservation of that uniformity and peace of the churches." 
In 1636, all persons were ordered to take notice "that this 
court doth not, nor will hereafter, approve of any such 
companies of men as shall henceforth join in any pretended 
way of church fellowship, without they shall first acquaint 
the magistrates and the elders of the greater part of the 
churches in this jurisdiction with their intentions, and have 
their approbation herein." And this same year, Mr. Roger 
Williams, one of the elders of the church in Salem, was 
ordered "to depart out of this jurisdiction within six weeks 
now next ensuing, for divulging divers new and dangerous 
opinions against the authority of the magistrates, and for 
writing letters of defamation, both of the magistrates and 
churches here." 

The next year, all Jesuits were banished from the colony, 
and it was provided that should any one be taken a second 
time in the same, he should be put to death. In 1638, 
it was ordered "that whosoever shall stand excommuni- 
cate for the space of six months, without laboring what in 
him or her lieth to be restored, such person shall be pre- 
sented to the court of assistants, and then proceeded with 
by fine, imprisonment, banishment, or further, — as their con- 
tempt and obstinacy, upon full hearing, shall deserve." Also 
in the same year, " that every inhabitant in any town is lia- 
ble to contribute to all charges, both in church and Com- 
monwealth, whereof he doth or may receive benefit ; " and 
that whoever shall not " voluntarily contribute, proportion- 
ably to his ability, with other freemen of the same town, 
to all common charges, as well for upholding the ordinances 
in the churches as otherwise, shall he compelled tliereto 
by assessment and distress, to be levied by the constable 
or other officer of the town, as in other cases." This law 
was applicable to all, whether freemen or not. 



160 LAW m FAVOR OP INFANT BAPTISM. 

Three years after this date, it was declared '' that the 
civil authority here established hath power and liberty to 
see that peace, ordinances and rules of Christ be observed 
in every church, according to his word ; " and likewise, 
that " all the people of God within this jurisdiction, w^ho 
are not in a church way, and be Orthodox in judgment, 
and not scandalous in life, shall have full liberty to gather 
themselves into a church estate, provided they do it in a 
christian way," and provided '' they shall acquaint three 
or more magistrates dwelling next, and the elders of the 
neighbor churches where they intended to join, and have 
their approbation therein." 

In 1 644, it was ordered " that if any person within this 
jurisdiction shall openly condemn or oppose the baptizing 
of infants, or shall purposely depart the congregation at 
the administration of this ordinance, after due means of 
conviction, [he] shall be sentenced to banishment." "About 
this time one Painter of Hingham was ordered to be w^hip- 
ped, not for his opinion, but for reproaching the Lord's 
ordinance of baptism, and for his bold and evil behavior 
both at home and at the court." In 1646, it w^as ordered 
that " wheresoever the ministry of the word is regularly es- 
tablished, every person shall duly resort and attend there- 
unto, on pain of forfeiting five shillings for every unneces- 
sary absence. Moreover, that every person who shall go 
about to destroy or disturb the order of the churches es- 
tablished in this county, by open renouncing their church 
estate, or their ministry, or their ordinances dispensed in 
them," "shall forfeit to the public treasury forty shillings 
for every month, so long as he continues in his obstinacy." 
And that, "if any Christian, so called, shall behave himself 
contemptuously toward the Word preached, or the messen- 
ger thereof, he shall for the first scandal be convented and 



THE CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM. 161 

reproved openly by the magistrates at some lecture, and 
for a second offence shall either pay ^ve pounds into the 
public treasury, or stand two hours openly upon a block 
four feet high, on a lecture day, with a paper fixed on his 
breast with this, a "wantois" gospeller, written in capital 
letters." 

In 1648, the Cambridge Platform was approved, " for 
the substance thereof" by the General Court. This plat- 
form says : " It is the duty of the magistrate to take care 
of matters of religion, and to improve his civil authority 
for the observing of the duties commanded in the first 
as well as in the second table. The end of the magistrate's 
oifice is, not only the quiet and peaceable life of the sub- 
ject in matters of righteousness and honesty, but also in 
matters of godliness. Idolatry, blasphemy, heresy^ vent- 
ing corrupt and pernicious opinions that destroy the foun- 
dation, open contempt of the Word preached, profanation 
of the Lord's day, disturbing the peaceable administration 
and exercise of the worship and holy things of God, and 
the like, are to be restrained and punished by the civil 
authority. " Among the chief reasons for calling the 
synod which drew up this platform we copy the follow- 
ing : " Whereas, in most churches, the ministers do bap- 
tize only such children whose nearest parents, one or both 
of them, are settled members in full communion with one 
or other of these churches, there be some who do baptize 
the children if the grandfather or grandmother be such 
members, though the immediate parents be not, and others 
* * * do much incline thereto * * * j on the other side, 
there be some amongst us, who do think that wliatever 
be the state of the parents, baptism ought not to be dis- 
pensed to any infants whatsoever," etc. And the follow- 
ing year the General Court wrote to the Plymouth colony, 

14* 



162 PERSECUTION OF BAPTISTS IN MASSACHUSETTS. 

reproving them for conniving at Anabaptists, and entreat- 
ing them " to take care as well of the suppressing of errors 
as of the maintenance of truth, God equally requiring ]Lhe 
performance of both at the hands of christian magis- 
trates." 

In 1651, the church in Maiden made choice of a minister 
without consulting the neighboring churches, and pro- 
ceeded to ordain him against their advice conveyed by 
letter. At its next session, the General Court fined all 
the actors in this affair, except those who had given sat- 
isfaction for their fault. The same year, three men of 
the Baptist persuasion, John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, and 
John Crandal, were arrested in Lynn for holding relig- 
ious Avorship in a private house, re-baptizing, etc., were 
taken to Boston and cast into prison. They were soon 
tried before the court of assistants, " by whom Clark 
was fined twenty pounds. Holmes thirty, and John Cran- 
dal five, or each to be well whipped." Two of them were 
released ; but Mr. Holmes was confined until September, 
and then publicly whipped with great severity. We cite 
a few words from his account of this infliction. 

'' I told them, moreover, that the Lord having manifested 
his love towards me, in giving me repentance towards 
God and faith in Christ, and so to be baptized in water 
by a messenger of Jesus, in the name of the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, wherein I have fellowship with him in 
his death, burial and resurrection ; I am now come to be 
baptized in afflictions by your hands, that so I may have 
further fellowship with my Lord, and am not ashamed of 
his sufferings, for by his stripes I am healed. And as the 
man began to lay the strokes upon my back, I said to the peo- 
p^e, 'Tliough my flesh should fiil and my spirit should fail, 
yet God would not fail.' So it pleased the Lord to come in, 



STATE IXTERFERENCE IN CHURCH AFFAIRS. 163 

and to fill my heart and tongue as a vessel full, and with an 
audible voice I brake forth, praying the Lord not to lay 
this sin to their charge, and telling the people that now I 
found he did not fail me, and therefore now I should trust 
him forever who failed me not ; for in truth, as the strokes 
fell upon me, I had such a spiritual manifestation of God's 
presence as I never had before, and the outward pain was 
so removed from me, that I could well bear it, yea, and in 
a manner felt it not, although it was grievous, as the spec- 
tators said, the man striking with all his strength, spitting 
in his hand three times, v/ith a three-corded whip, giving 
me therewith thirty strokes. When he loosed me from 
the post, having joyfulness in my heart and cheerfulness in 
my countenance, as the spectators observed, I told the 
magistrates : " You have struck me as with roses ; ' and 
said, moreover: 'Although the Lord hath made it easy to 
me, yet I pray God it may not be laid to your charge.' " 

In 1652, the "New Church" in Boston chose for their 
pastor one who had not received a liberal education ; but 
the civil authority forbade his ordination, lest it should 
tend to the subversion of an able ministry. Three years 
after it was enacted that the " county court in each shire, 
shall, upon information given them of any defect of any 
congregation or town within the shire, appoint what main- 
tenance shall be allowed to the minister of the place, and 
shall issue out warrants to the selectmen to assess the 
inhabitants, which the constable of said town shall collect 
and levy as other town rates." 

In 1656, it was enacted, that any commander of a 
vessel, who shall bring a Quaker into the colony, shall 
pay a fine of one hundred pounds, and that all Quakers 
arriving in the colony from any place wliatsoever " shall 
be forthwith committed to the house of correction and at 



164 LAWS AGAINST QUAKERS. 

their entrance be severely whilst, and by the master thereof 
be kept constantly to work, and none suffered to converse 
or speak with them during the time of their imprison- 
ment." As soon as j^ossible they were to be removed from 
the colony. 

In the following year, the Court advised a general coun- 
cil to consider the question, whether all baptized persons, 
not scandalous in life, ought not to be treated as members 
of the church in all respects, except in partaking of the 
Lord's SujDper. It was determined that all baptized per- 
sons ought thus to be considered members of the church 
and entitled to bring their children to baptism. More 
stringent laws were also passed this year and the next 
against Quakers. They provided that if a Quaker re- 
turned into the colony after banishment, he was to have 
one of his ears cut off; if he returned again the other ear 
was to be treated in the same way; if he came back a 
third time his tonojue was to be bored throuo;h with a hot 
iron, and if found in the colony after the time limited for 
his departure, he was to be punished with death. During 
the following year, 1659, two men suffered death, accord- 
ing to the final provision of this law, for refusing to leave 
the jurisdi-ction, and the next year a man and woman for 
the same reason. Twenty more were in prison. But the 
General Court saw fit to pause in its course. For the 
satisfaction of weak consciences a defense of its action 
was duly published. 

Moreover, an address was prepared for the king, in 
which it is said, respecting the Quakers : " Such was their 
dangerous, impetuous and desperate turbulency, both to 
religion and the State, civil and ecclesiastical, as that how 
unfailingly soever, could it have been avoided, the magis- 
trate at last, in conscience both to God and man, judged 



MASSACHUSETTS ADDRESS TO THE KING. 165 

himself called, for the defense of all, to keep the passage 
with the point of the sword held towards them. This 
could do no harm to him that would be warned thereby ; 
their wittingly rushing themselves thereupon was their own 
act, and we, with all humility, conceive a crime bringing 
their blood on their own head. The Quakers died, not be- 
cause of their other crimes, how capital soever, but upon 
their superadded contempt of authority ; breaking in upon 
US notwithstanding their sentence of banishment made 
known to them.'' And yet farther on, in the same address, 
they use this noble and touching language : "We could not 
live without the public worship of God. We were not per- 
mitted the use of public worship without such a yoke of 
subscription and conformity as we could not consent unto 
without sin. That we might therefore enjoy divine worship 
without the human mixtures, without offence either to God, 
man or our own consciences, we, with leave, but not with- 
out tears, departed from our country, kindred and fathers' 
houses, imto this Patmos, in relation whereunto we do not 
say our garments are become old by reason of the very 
lorrg journey, but that ourselves, who came away in our 
strength, are by reason of very long absence, many of us 
become gray headed, and some of us stooping, for age." 

This address seems not to have made the intended im- 
pression on the king's mind; and the next year, 1661, in 
obedience to his command, it was ordered " that the execu- 
tion of the laws in force against Quakers, as such, so far 
as they respect corporal punishment or death, be suspended 
until the Court take further action." They were never re- 
vived. In 16G4, it was ordered, also in obedience to a 
letter from the king, " that henceforth all Englishmen, pre- 
senting a certificate, under the hands of the ministers or 
minister of the place where they dwell, that they are 



163 .FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN LONDON. 

orthodox in religion and not vicious in their lives, and also 
a certificate under the hands of the selectmen of the jDlace, 
that they are freeholders, and. are for their own proper 
estate ratable to the place where they live, to the full 
value of ten shillings, or that they are in full communion 
with some church among us, it shall be the liberty of all 
and every such j)erson or persons, — to present themselves 
and their desires to this Court for their admittance to the 
freedom of this Commonwealth." 

In 1665, a few brethren established a Baptist meeting in 
Boston. They were fined and imprisoned for so doing by 
the General Court, but after several years of great suffer- 
ing they began to be recognized as a christian church. 

It 1679, it was enacted, "that no persons whatsoever, 
without the consent of the freemen of the town where 
they live, first orderly had and obtained at a public meet- 
ing, assembled for that end, and license of the county 
court, or, in defect of such consent and license, by the 
special order of the General Court, shall erect or make use 
of any (meeting) house," on penalty of forfeiting both the 
house and the land on which it is built to the county. 

Thus did the civil government of Massachusetts, under 
the first charter, endeavor to suppress error and maintain 
the truth. LaAV was 23iled upon law and penalty annexed 
to penalty for the jDurpose of eradicating heresy ; but in 
vain. The only weapons which can prevail against reli- 
gious error are sj)iritual, but these were carnal. Mean- 
while the union of Church and State was bearing its 
legitimate fruits. The deep toned piety of the fathers was 
not implanted in the hearts of their children. The half- 
way covenant was introduced, and the declension of vital 
godliness accelerated. The magistrate might indeed " im- 
prove his civil authority for the observing of the duties 



MISCONSTRUCTION OF MASSACHUSETTS CHARTER. 1G7 

commanded in the first as well as in the second table," but 
he could not reach the heart ; he could compel men to an 
outward worship of God only. Yet far more than this 
was necessary to preserve the substance of Christianity in 
the land of the Pilgrims. And happily, notwithstanding 
the pernicious effect of relying upon civil power in the 
last resort to maintain the church in her purity, there were 
many who still possessed the living faith of the fathers, 
and who did much to withstand the encroachments of 
indifference and formality. Yet these were but a small 
minority, and the process of deterioration went on. This 
process was not thoroughly arrested in any considerable 
portion of New England until the period of the Great 
Awakening, Then, as we have already seen, the vital 
forces of Christianity repudiated, to a considerable extent, 
all civil restrictions and established usages. 

In 1691, a new charter of Massachusetts was issued by 
William and Mary. This charter granted " liberty of con- 
science in the worship of God to all Christians, except 
Papists, inhabiting or which shall inhabit or be resident 
within our said province or territory." "But this most 
important article," says Backus, "was construed by the 
ministers as meaning that the General Court might, by 
laws, encourage and protect that religion which is the gen- 
eral profession of the inhabitants." Laws were therefore 
directly enacted, providing that the minister elected by a 
majority of the inhabitants of any plantation should be 
the minister of the place, and that his salary should be 
levied by a rate upon all the inhabitants. 

From the year 1692 to the year 1728, the Baptists were 
everywhere, except in Boston and some few other towns, 
taxed for the support of Congregational ministers. TIio 
fact of their maintaining worship by themselves was not 



168 OPPRESSION OF THE BAPTISTS. 

allowed to be a sufficient reason for exempting them from 
rates to sustain a ministry, which in point of conscience 
they could not hear. For their refusal to pay such rates, 
we are told that they '' oftentimes had their bodies seized 
upon, and thrown into the common jail, as malefactors, 
and their cattle, swine, horses, household furniture, and 
implements of husbandry, forcibly distrained from them, 
and shamefully sold, many times at not one-quarter part 
of the first value." And it is added "that the heavy 
pressures and afflictions occasioned by these distraints, 
imprisonments, and the losses consequent thereupon, made 
many of the Baptists bend, almost ruined some of our 
people, and disheartened others to such a degree, that 
they moved, with the remaining effects they had left, out 
of the Province." 

At length, after repeated a23plications to the General 
Court for relief, the first act of exemption was passed, 
1728, entitled, "An act to exempt j^ersons commonly 
called Anabaptists, and those called Quakers, within this 
Province, from being taxed for and towards the support 
of ministers." This act was entirely unsatisfactory, both 
because it merely exemj^ted the polls, and not the estates, 
of those concerned, and because it was hmited to persons 
living mthin five miles of the place where the meetings 
of their church were held. Renewed applications were 
therefore made, and the next year an act was passed, ex- 
empting their estates also from ministerial taxes. It was, 
however, to remain in force but five years. 

At the expiration of this period, application was again 
made, by persons of the Baptist persuasion, for relief; and 
a third act, more expUcit than either of the preceding, was 
thereupon passed. It provided that " the assessors of each 
town where any of the said Anabaptists live, or their 



ACTS OF EXEMPTION. 169 

lands in their own actual improvement lie, shall take a list 
of all such persons, and forthwith transmit the same to the 
Clerk of the town, which list shall be entered on the 
record of such town by the Clerk, that so any of the peo- 
ple called Anabaptists, or any members of their society, 
thereto appointed, may view such list, have a copy thereof, 
if they desire the same, paying only sixpence therefor ; 
and if any person of that denomination shall be omitted 
in such list by the assessors taken, and the assessors shall 
be certified thereof in writing, under the hands of two 
jDrincipal members of that persuasion, appointed thereto 
by the respective societies, that such persons not inserted 
in their list they believe to be conscientiously of their 
persuasion, and that they do frequently and usually attend 
their meeting, for the worship of God, on the Lord's day, 
the assessors shall also exempt the said persons, so omitted, 
and their estates in their actual management and improve- 
ment, as well as all others inserted in the said list, from all 
rates and taxes, by the said assessors to be made, for the 
support of the minister or ministers in their towns, or for 
erecting places of public worship ; this act to continue five 
years," etc. 

But this act, in like manner with the preceding, failed, 
in a great measure, to accomplish the purpose for whicli it 
was passed. No penalty was annexed to a refusal or 
neglect of the assessors to perform the service required of 
them. When, therefore, the Baptists "at some times 
reminded the assessors of their omissions herein, tlicy 
were generally snubbed, and in a contemptuous manner 
answered, that the assessors knew nothing of any sucji 
act, nor would they concern themselves therein. Ollur 
assessors, more knowing and intelligent, insisted ui>on it, 
that as there was no penalty afilxed on the non-perforni- 

15 



170 OPPRESSIVE LAW OF 1753. 

ance of taking such lists of the Anabaptists, they would 
not trouble their heads about it." Hence the lists described 
in this act were taken in scarcely a single town of the 
province. This omission put the Baptists to no inconsid- 
erable trouble and expense, in procuring the requisite 
certificates; besides the unpleasantness of being thus 
treated by their fellow Christians. 

Upon the expiration of the third act, in 1740, a similar 
one was procured, not without much cost and trouble, to 
continue in force seven years. The same course was also 
pursued by the assessors generally, as under the preceding 
act, and the same vexations were experienced by the mem- 
bers of our denomination. 

When this act expired, in 1747, the Baptists, it is said, 
were on the point of making application to the king for 
more permanent and complete relief; but they were pre- 
vented from so doing by an unsolicited renewal of the law 
exempting them from ministerial rates, to remain in full 
force ten years; for this si3ontaneous act of justice led 
them to look for peace and rest for the term of ten years 
at least. But in 1753, an act in addition to this was passed, 
which contained this provision : " That no person, for the 
future, should be esteemed to be an Anabaptist, but those 
whose names are contained in the lists taken by the asses- 
sors, or such as shall produce a certificate, under the hands 
of the minister and of two principal members of such 
church, setting forth that they conscientiously believe such 
person or persons to be of their persuasion," etc. And 
further, " that no minister nor the tnembers of any Anabap- 
tist church, as aforesaid, shall be esteemed qualified to give 
such certificates, as aforesaid, other than such as shall have 
obtained from three other churches^ commonly called Ana- 
baptists, in this or the neighboring Provinces, a certificate 



NEW AND OLD BAPTISTS. 171 

from each respectively^ that they esteem such church to be 
one of their denomination, and that they conscientiously 
believe them to be Anabaptists^'^ etc. 

This law proved to be very oppressive. For there had 
come into existence since the great awakening, by means 
of the New-Lights, quite a number of Baptist churches 
which were not yet in fellowship with the older churches 
of our denomination, and which therefore could not ob- 
tain the certificates now required. Moreover, this act 
made it necessary for Baptists to certify their consci- 
entious belief of a point which they were known not to 
believe, viz., that they and their brethren were Anabap- 
tists or Re-baptizers. Strenuous efforts were made to pro- 
cure the repeal of this additional act. Mr. John Proctor, 
a member of the Second Baptist Church in Boston, was 
chosen by his brethren as their agent to bear their com- 
plaints to England. He drew up a spirited remonstrance 
on the subject, which was presented to the assembly in 
May, 1754. Says Mr. Backus: "It stated matters so 
plainly, that a motion was made by some to take the 
signers of it into custody; but Governor Shirley, newly 
returned from Europe, convinced them of the impolicy 
of such a step ; and then they appointed a committee 
to confer in a friendly way with the Baptists. Matters 
were shifted along until the war came on and their design 
for England was dropt." 

In the year 1757, a new law was made for the relief 
of Baptists and Quakers. It provided that none were 
to be exempted from ministerial taxes as Baptists, but 
those " whose names shall be contained in a list or lists 
to be taken and exhibited on or before the twentieth of 
July annually to the assessors of such town, district, 
precinct or parish, and signed by three principal mem- 



172 INJUSTICE UNDER COVER OF LAW. 

bers of the Anabaptist church to which he or they be- 
long, and the minister thereof, if any there be, who shall 
therein certify that the persons whose names are inserted 
in the said list or lists are really belonging thereto, that 
they verily believe them to be conscientiously of their 
persuasion, and that they frequently and usually attend 
public worship in said church on the Lord's days." This 
act was continued in force thirteen years until 1770 ; 
" and no tongue or pen," says Mr. Backus, " can fully 
describe all the evils that were practised under it." 

It is now proper for us to close this survey. For the 
sake of brevity, we have in the second part of it traced 
the course of action pursued by the civil authority in 
matters of religion, only so far as it related expressly to 
members of our own denomination. A sketch of this ac- 
tion thus far at least seemed necessary in order to any 
just aiDpreciation of the state of affairs when Mr. Backus 
began his labors in behalf of religious liberty; for those 
labors were called forth chiefly by the wrongs which, in 
his judgment, were suffered by his brethren of the Baptist 
faith. 



CHAPTEK XIII. 

EFFORTS FOE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 

DESIGN OP THIS PART OF OUR NARRATIVE. — COMMITTEE OP GRIEVANCES AP- 
POINTED BY THE WARREN ASSOCIATION. — THEIR ADVERTISEMENT. — REV. 
JOHN DAVIS CHOSEN AGENT. — HIS LETTER TO MORGAN EDWARDS. — PETI- 
TION TO THE GENERAL COURT. —NEW CERTIFICATE LAW UNSATISFACTORY. 
— TREATMENT OF MR. DAVIS.— OPPRESSION IN MONTAGUE, IN CHELMSFORD 
AND IN BRADFORD. — LETTER OF MR. BACKUS TO A MEMBER OP THE AS- 
SEMBLY. — EXTRACTS FROM THE SAME. — CHARACTER AND DEATH OF MR. 
DAVIS. 

To set forth in detail the efforts of Mr. Backus for the 
separation of church and state, according to the principles 
first applied by Roger Williams, would require more space 
than can be devoted to this topic. Besides this, the pre- 
paration of such a narrative is rendered well nigh impos- 
sible by the loss of his diary for the period when he 
was most engaged in this department of service. Yet 
it will not be difficult, from the records of this period 
still remaining, to ascertain some of the principal tasks 
which he performed, to exhibit specimens of the oppres- 
sion which he felt himself called upon to resist, and to 
describe the general course of his activity. In doing 
this, it will be our aim, in harmony with the design 
of this volume, to describe also, so far as may be prac- 
ticable, the labors of his brethren in behalf of the same 
cause. 

The ministers of the Warren Association for the year 
1769 certify that "many letters from the churches men- 

15* 



174 PETITIONS FOR REDRESS. 

lioned grievous oppressions and persecutions from the 
standing order; especially the one from Ashfield, where 
religious tyranny had been carried to great lengths." A 
committee, on which Mr. Backus was assigned a place, was 
therefore appointed by the Association, to draft petitions for 
redress to be presented to the general courts of Massa- 
chusetts and Connecticut. They were accordingly drawn 
up, read and approved ; and another committee was chosen 
to present them. The following gentlemen were also ap- 
pointed to receive accounts of " well-attested grievances," 
to be transmitted to Rev. Samuel Stillman of Boston ; viz. 
Rev. Hezekiah Smith of Haverhill, Rev. Isaac Backus of 
Middleboro', Mr. Richard Montague of Sunderland, Rev. 
Joseph Meacham of Enfield, and Rev. Timothy Wight- 
man of Groton^ in Connecticut. These "grievances" 
were to be employed in the petitions and memorials by 
which the Association was determined to seek a remedy 
for oppression, " where," it is said, " a speedy and efiectual 
one may be had." 

The i^etitions, prepared by the Association as mentioned 
above, seem to have been wholly disregarded by those 
in authority. The committee of grievances were there- 
fore still more anxious to know the exact truth as to 
any instances of unjust taxation. Accordingly, the fol- 
lowing advertisement was published in the Boston Even- 
ing Post, August 30, 1770. "To the Baptists in the 
Province of Massachusetts Bay, who are, or have been 
oppressed in any way on a religious account. It would 
be needless to tell you that you have long felt the effects 
of the laws by which the religion of the government in 
which }'ou live is established. Your purses have felt the 
burden of ministerial rates; and when these would not 

1 In the manuscript, " Thomas Whitman of Grattan." 



APPEAL TO THE KING RESOLVED ON. 175 

satisfy your enemies, your property hath been taken from 
you and sold for less than half its value. These things 
you cannot forget. You mil therefore readily hear and 
attend, when you are desired to collect your cases of suf- 
fering and have them well attested, — such as, the taxes 
you have paid to build meeting-houses, to settle ministers 
and support them, with all the time, money and labor 
you have lost in waiting on courts, feeing lawyers, etc., 
and bring or send such cases to the BajDtist Association 
to be holden at Bellingham ; when measures will be re- 
solutely adopted for obtaining redress from another quar- 
ter than that to which repeated application hath been 
made unsuccessfully. Nay, complaints, however just and 
grievous, have been treated with indifference, and scarcely, 
if at all, credited. We deem this our conduct perfectly 
justifiable; and hope you will pay particular regard to 
this desire, and be exact in your accounts. Boston, July 
31, 1770." 

The Warren Association met on the eleventh of Septem- 
ber, and such accounts were brought in to this body as led 
to a '' unanimous resolution to send to the British court 
for help, if it could not be obtained in America." This 
resolution indicated very clearly their determination to 
make a systematic and vigorous resistance to the unjust 
exactions in support of the Standing Order; for, as a de- 
nomination, the Baptists were strongly opposed to the 
tyrannous course pursued of late by the English govern- 
ment towards the colonies, and were therefore exceedingly 
rehictant to lay their complaints at the foot of the throne. 
The Rev. John Davis, pastor of the Second Baptist 
Church in Boston, was appointed agent for his brethren, 
to use his best endeavors, with the advice of their com- 
mittee, to obtain a full deliverance from ministerial taxes. 



176 LETTER FROM JOHN DAVIS. 

Isaac Backus was reappointed on the committee,, and 
though residing at a considerable distance from the centre 
of action, was one of its most efficient members. The fol- 
lowing letter from Mr. Davis to Rev. Morgan Edwards, 
seems to show that the proceedings already described 
began to be looked upon as serious and important. 

"Boston, Sept. 26, 1770. 
My good fkie:n"d : I have just time to tell you that when 
we published our advertisement, Dr. Channing pretended 
to me to be much interested in our affairs, and said he 
would join us in an address to the General Court, and a 
good deal to that purpose. In consequence of which I 
called the committee together; when it was agreed to 
suspend further publication till we had asked the Court to 
give us a law, and if they refused, to jDrosecute the matter 
with all the spirit we could. I sent for Mr. Smith, of 
Haverhill, who is now in town. We have drawn a petition 
which we propose presenting as soon as convenient after 
the Court goes upon business. I waited yesterday on the 
Lieut. Governor, who said many things to encourage us, 
and said he would do all he could for us, if we could make 
our way through the General Court. I asked him whether 
it would be proper to say they had no right by charter to 
establish a religion^ etc. He told me such a thing might 
do beyond the water, but would not here. I mentioned 
the evil that our going to England might do. He said he 
did not think it would do any ; for, said he, it is as bad as 
can be already. I have had remarkably kind invitations 
from one of the council within these few days ; for what 
reason I know not. I have refused his kindness hitherto ; 
perhajDS it may do for something or other at some future 
time. He happens to be a courtier, and therefore not to 



PETITIONS OF COMMITTEE (* GRIEVANCES. 177 

be depended on. Our religious affairs liave been full as 

well, if not better, tban I expected. * * * 

John Dayis." 

The petition referred to in this letter seems to have been 
the following, which was addressed to the General Court 
in the fall of 1770. 

" To the Honorable the Lieut. Governor, the Honorable 
his Majesty's Council, and the House of Representa- 
tives, in General Court assembled : 

The petition of the Baptist Committee of Grievances, 
acting in the name and by the appointment of the Baptist 
churches met in association at Bellingham in this Province, 
the 11th, 12th and 13th days of September last, humbly 
sheweth : — 

That although the Baptists have been repeatedly disap- 
pointed in their addresses to the General Court, and have 
not received that relief from their distresses which they 
humbly conceive all our people are entitled to, as men and 
Christians, and subjects of a free government; yet, very 
unwilling to leave any means untried, and hoping all 
things from this Court, — We, the committee aforesaid, 
witii great earnestness and seriousness, do recommend 
ourselves to you. Gentlemen, whom we consider as the 
guardians of our rights and privileges, as well religious as 
civil ; the protectors of the injured ; the fathers of our 
common country ; and beg leave to say that we are en- 
couraged in this our address from the consideration of the 
rights of mankind having been so well defined in the votes 
of your honorable House, by which we are tauglit to 
think: — 'That no taxation can be equitable Avliere such 
restraints are laid upon the taxed as take from liim the 
liberty of giving his own money freely.' ' 



178 BAPTIST LANDS IN ASIIFIELD. 

" This being true, permit us to ask, with what equity is 
our property taken from us, not only without our consent, 
but violently, contrary to our wills, and for such purposes 
as we cannot in faithfulness to that stewardship with which 
God hath entrusted us, favor. Permit us, therefore, to lay 
before this honorable Court the grievances of which we 
complain, and pray your friendly as well as legislative in- 
terposition, that our brethren may be saved from threaten- 
ing ruin, who have suffered much in their persons and 
estates, to the great disquietude of their minds and distress 
of their small and chargeable families. 

" And these evils have arisen from some of the laws of 
this Province, which are ecclesiastical in their nature, and 
bear hard upon us, and, as we think, deprive us of a charter 
privilege ; especially one law, made in favor of the proprie- 
tors of the town of Ashfield in the county of Hampshire, 
which is contrary to, and in respect to that town, suj)er- 
sedes all acts of the General Court heretofore enacted and 
declared to be in favor of the Baptists. In consequence of 
which law, and by a power granted in the same to the pro- 
prietors of Ashfield aforesaid, three hundred and ninety- 
eio'ht acres of our land have been sold to build and remove 
and repair when moved, a meeting-house in which we have 
no part, though our money helped to build it, and to settle 
and support a minister whom we cannot hear. The lands 
were valued at three hundred and sixty-three pounds thir- 
teen shillings, lawful money, and were sold for nineteen 
pounds three shillings ; so that our loss is three hundred and 
forty-four pounds fifteen shillings, lawful money. Part of 
the lands aforesaid belonged to the Rev. Ebenezer Smith, a 
regularly ordained Baptist minister, who, together with his 
father and others, their brethren, in the last Indian war, 
built at their own expense a fort and were a frontier ; and 



KIND OF RELIEF PETITIONED FOK. 179 

this they did without any help from any quarter ; for which 
we beg leave to say that they deserve, at least, the common 
jDrivileges of the subjects of the crown of England. Part 
of said lands had been laid out for a burying-place, and they 
have taken from us our dead. They have also sold a 
dwelling-house and orchard, and pulled up our apple trees, 
and thrown down our fences, and made our fields waste 
places. 

" Permit us further to add, that the act of the General 
Court, made with design to favor us, and for the same pur- 
pose hath been renewed from time to time, is attended 
with such difficulties as render it ineffectual in many in- 
stances, and by no means sufficient to answer the good 
purpose for which we are willing to believe the honorable 
Court intended it. The difficulties arising from this quar- 
ter, of which we complain, we are ready to lay before the 
House whenever it shall please them to call upon us. 

"We must beg your indulgence while we recite one 
thing more, which we deem hard, and that is, a proviso in 
the above mentioned law or act of General Court, by 
which no Baptist can avail himself even of that law in 
new settled towns ; and we are thereby virtually prevented 
from settling in such towns. 

" Should we go through with an enumeration of all our 
grievances, we must take up too much of the time of this 
honorable Court, which we are unwilling to do. We 
therefore pray the General Court to relieve the following 
particulars, viz. : 

"1. To repeal a law entitled ' an Act in addition to an 
Act for erecting the new plantation called Huntstown,' in 
the county of Hampshire, into a town by the name of 
Ashfield, and restore the lands which have been taken from 
them to support the ministers settled by law, and give 



180 NEW LAW AGAINST '' ANTI-PEDOJJAPTISTS." 

them damages for the many and great injuries they have 
been made to suffer. 

" 2. To enable our brethren, in different parts of the 
Province, to recover damages for the losses they have been 
made to sustain on a religious account. 

"3. To grant jDcrpetual exemption to all Baptists and 
their congregations from all ministerial rates whatsoever, 
according to the full intent and meaning of the charter of 
the Province, that we may all enjoy full liberty of con- 
science as others his Majesty's subjects of this Province, 
and also to disannul all such rates heretofore laid on any 
of our peojDle in the government. And your petitioners 
as in duty bound will ever j)ray. 

c,. T • 1. 1. li? i? ^1, ("Samuel Stillman. 

Sisrned m behali oi the i tt o 

^11^ ... •< Hezekiah Smith.. 

whole Committee. } y t^ 

( J OHN JJAVIS. 

An accurate narrative of the oppression in Ashfield, 
mentioned above, is given by Mr. Backus in the second 
volume of his History. We have inserted in the Appen- 
dix^ one of the petitions offered to the General Court by 
the Baptists of this place and extracts from another. 

The old certificate law had now expired, and near the 
close of this year 1770 a new one was made. By this new 
act the title Anti-pedohaptists was substituted for that of 
Anabaptists and the word congregation for that of church. 
The certificates were to be signed by three or more princi- 
pal members and the minister, "if any there be." Parishes 
were moreover authorized, if they pleased, to free the Bap- 
tists by vote from the jDayment of ministerial rates without 
any certificates. It would be interesting to know whether 
such a vote was j^assed by any parishes in the Province ; 
charity Avould lead us to hope that many were. " But in 

1 See Appendix E. 



'^ CONSCIENCE " BAPTISTS EXEMPT FROM KATES. 131 

this law," says Mr. Backus, " the word conscientiously was 
still retained and the certificates were to be given annually 
to the assessors." Accordingly, no one could attend a 
Baptist meeting and give his support to the same, free 
from taxes to the standing order, unless he was known to 
be conscientiously of the Baptist persuasion. The term 
seems therefore to have been shrewdly inserted in order 
to prevent those who had not as yet fully embraced the 
views of any denomination from connecting themselves 
with the tolerated sect. As soon as this law was passed, 
Mr. Davis called together the committee, and it was voted 
unanimously not to accept the new act as satisfactory. 

Meanwhile, an anonymous article, dated Cambridge, Oct. 
22, 1770, and purporting to be written by a Baptist, had 
appeared in several public journals, pronouncing the com- 
plaints made by our brethren to be without the least foun- 
dation, throwing out the challenge : " If any have suffered 
let him appear," and defending the action of the civil 
authorities as altogether just and liberal. Mr. Davis was 
requested by the committee to answer this production. He 
did so by presenting a brief sketch of actual grievances 
complained of Iby his brethren. Such an appeal to facts 
ought to have called forth at least a respectful answer ; but 
instead of this the only response which followed was an 
article replete with personal abuse. "There is a little 
upstart Gentleman," it said, " laftely settled in town ; * * 
the Youth discovers the most insufferable arrogance ; * * I 
very much susjc^ect he is one employed by the e7iemies of 
America to defame and blacken the Colonies," etc. Such 
were the weapons used by some to repel the arguments 
and importunities of a respectable body of Clmstians for 
religious equality ! 

To illustrate the way in which this law and others sinii- 

16 



182 CASE OF SAMUEL HARVEY. 

lar to it were made ineffectual the following instances may 
be given. In 1765 a Baptist church was organized in 
Montague, and the members of it gave in their certificates 
to the jDarish assessors according to law. Yet they were 
taxed for the suj^jDort of the regular minister, and distress 
made upon them. At length Samuel Harvey sued the 
assessors for a cow and calf which had thus been taken 
fi-om him. After the writ was served, a parish meeting 
was called and a vote was passed to sustain the assessors. 
The case was tried before Judge Williams, who, in his 
charge to the jury, said : " The law says the certificate 
shall be signed by three jDrincipal men in the Baptist 
church ; the plaintiff is one of the signers, and he cannot 
certify for himself; therefore there are but two, and the 
law says there shall be three. The jury brought in a ver- 
dict in accordance with this charge. The plaintiff appealed 
to the superior court and the case was continued until 
September, 1770. It was then called up, and witnesses 
were produced, but were not allowed to testify, because 
they were Baptists. The trial was therefore again de- 
ferred ; but in May of the next year the superior court 
reaffirmed the opinion of Judge Williams and rejected 
the plaintiff's claim. Distress was then fearlessly made by 
the parish upon the Committee. A yoke of oxen was 
taken from Mr. Harvey, and a cow from Mr. Sawyer, etc. 

A Baptist church was constituted in Chelmsford, in 
October, 1771. In the following March the town voted 
to raise a sum of money to pay the town charges and to 
support their minister. The taxes were made during the 
same month, and were assessed upon the Baptists as well as 
others. The money was, moreover, ordered to be immedi- 
ately collected. Although the Baptists had carried in cer- 
tificates according to law, the collector said they were a 



BAPTISTS IMPRISONED FOR RATES. 183 

praying people, and he would put them all into jail to- 
gether, where they would have nothing else to do but 
pray. This he began to do on the sixth of January, 1773. 
When he came to the house of Mr. Nathan Crosby, with a 
large number of assistants, a woman who lived in another 
part of the house told him that Mr. Crosby was sick and 
not able to go to prison. But one of the comjoany de- 
clared that if he were sick and in bed, and if they took 
him out and he died in their hands, nobody would hu.rt 
them. Mr. Crosby entreated the collector to let him 
remain till he should be better, which the latter seemed 
inclined to do. But one of the assistants, who had given 
the collector a dollar to induce him to carry Crosby to 
jail that very day, insisted that it should be done. The 
warrant was then served, and he was ordered to get ready. 
The collector, however, allowed him to ride with himself, 
on his horse ; but as he left his wife and children in tears, 
some of the company told them he would be put in a room 
without fire, where he would freeze to death. The col- 
lector next took Gershom Proctor, who was about eighty- 
two years of age ; then his son Henry Proctor, both of 
whom had carried in certificates. Henry left a wife and 
seven small children, with no one to assist them but a 
young man who was then sick. They were all committed 
to the Concord jail. By the advice of a lawyer, they paid 
their taxes, and then commenced a suit for damages. The 
trial was delayed a long time. Moreover, both collector 
and assessors were put into the writ by the lawyer; and 
when the case of Mr. Crosby was tried, the jury condemned 
the assessors, but cleared the collector ; so that the ])laintiff 
was allowed three pounds for damages and costs, but was 
obliged to pay the collector for carrying liim to i)rison! 
Mr. Crosby never received anything ; and the other cases 
were not tried. 



184 LETTER OF MARTHA KIMBALL. 

Anotlier instance of oppression may be given in tlie lan- 
guage of the sufferer. 



"Mk. Backus: — I understand that you are collecting 
materials for a BajDtist history, in which you propose to let 
the public know how the Baptists have been oppressed in 
Massachusetts Bay. This is to let you know that in the 
year 1768, in a very cold night in the winter, about nine 
or ten o'clock in the evening, I was taken prisoner and 
carried, by the collector in the town where I live, from my 
flimily, consisting of three small children, in order to be 
put into jail. It being a severe cold night, I concluded, by 
advice, while I was detained at a tavern in the way to 
jail some hours, to jDay the sum of | L. M.,^ for which I 
was made a prisoner, it being for the ministerial rate. 
The reason why I refused paying it before, was because I 
was a Baptist, and belonged to the BajDtist society in 
Haverhill, and had carried in a certificate to the assessors, 
as I suppose, according to law. Thus they dealt with a 
j)oor widow woman in Bradford, the relict of Solomon 
Kimball, late of said town; — at whose house the Rev. 
Hezekiah Smith was shamefully treated by many of the 
people in Bradford, who came, headed by the sheriiF, Amos 
Mullikin, at a time when Mr. Smith was to jDreach a ser- 
mon in our house, at the request of my husband, and 
warmly contended with him, and threatened him if he did 
preach. Mr. Smith went to begin service by singing, not- 
withstanding the noise, clamor and threats of the people. 
But one of their number snatched the chair, behind which 
Mr. Smith stood, from before him. Upon which my hus- 
band desired Mr. Smith to tarry a little, till he had quelled 
the tumult ; but all his endeavors to silence them were in 

1 i.e. Legal Money. 



BACKUS FOR SOUL-LIBERTY. 185 

vain. Upon which my husband desired Mr. Smith to be- 
gin pubhc service ; which accordingly he did, and went 
through, then, without further molestation. 

Martha Kimball. 
Bradford, Sept. 2, 1774. 

"N. B. The above I can attest to. It may be observed, 
that the tavern whither they took me is about two miles 
from my house. After I had paid what they demanded, 
then I had to return to my poor fatherless children, 
through the snow, on foot, in the dead of the night, ex- 
posed to the severity of the cold." 

Such events as those now recited by way of example, 
were obviously fitted to enlist the sympathy and awaken 
the indignation of all those who agreed in belief with 
the sufTering parties. They were likely also to render 
more deep and intense the conviction that civil govern- 
ment has no right to intermeddle with the worship of God ; 
no right to determine what Christianity is, and then sup- 
port it by the power of the sword ; no right to bring that 
kingdom which is not of this world, and whose weapons 
are only spiritual, into formal union with the powers that 
be, whose weapons are carnal ; no right to intermingle and 
identify the claims of Caesar and of God, employing one 
officer to enforce them both. 

Whatever may be said of others, the head and the heart 
of Mr. Backus were fully enlisted for the cause of soul 
liberty. Before the next meeting of the General Assem- 
bly, which took place near the close of March, 1771, he 
had written a letter to a gentleman of that body, " con- 
cerning taxes to support religious worship." In this manly 
production he replies at some length to the usual argu- 
ments in defence of a religious establishment supported by 



186 HIS LETTER TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 

law, and then shows the actual disabilities and suiFerings 
to which those of his own persuasion had been thus far 
subject; and in conclusion urges that the authorities of 
Massachusetts, in order to be consistent with themselves, 
in tlieir present complaints against England, should cease 
t;ixing men for the supj^ort of religious worship. 

" If it be oppression," he remarks, " to take away from a 
people the right of giving their money, either by them- 
selves or their representatives, to support civil government 
Avhere force belongs, as I believe it is, what must it be to 
deprive them of a right that never can be conveyed to 
any representative ? For unless a man could constitute 
another to answer for him at the bar of God, it is impossi- 
ble for him to convey to another a right to compel him or 
others to attend or suj^port any worshij) contrary to their 
consciences." The next sentence is sharper. " What then 
shall we think of those men who often accuse their neigh- 
bors of covetoiisness^ only because they plead, with Moses, 
for liberty to carry their substance Avith them, to hel]) sup- 
port the worship they believe to be right, while these 
accusers act the jDart of Pharaoh, who, when he could no 
longer hold their persons, yet said, 'Let your flocks and 
your herds be stayed ! ' " 

It is quite obvious that such a letter, at once truly bold 
and truly patriotic, touching the question at issue by every 
word, from beginning to end, cannot ha,ve been lost upon 
the i)eople whose views it expressed, whatever may have 
been its effect upon those in power. By enunciating, 
clearly and concisely, the claims of his brethren, and by 
advocating those claims with undeniable ability, Mr. Backus 
strengthened their conviction of the righteousness of their 
cause, and prepared them for more decisive action in its 
defence. His letter must also have been very inspiriting 



DEATH OF JOHN DAVIS. 187 

to Mr. Davis, whose vigorous and prominent efforts, as 
agent for the Baptists, had exposed him to much vituper- 
ation. His labors, however, were soon terminated. In the 
early part of 1772, his health began to decline, and in July 
he was obliged to relinquish his pastoral charge, and seek 
a milder climate. The next year, while travelling on the 
banks of the Ohio, Avith a single companion, for the pur- 
230se of recruiting his health, he was suddenly taken away 
from this life. 

Mr. Davis was graduated at the University of Pennsyl- 
vania, and is said to have been "a man of fine talents, and 
of a finished education;" also, "a truly pious man, and an 
excellent preacher." Mr. Backus calls him " the pious and 
learned Mr. John Davis," and always refers to his charac- 
ter and conduct with the utmost respect. During the 
brief period of his ministry, in a place remote from all his 
early friends, he so discharged the duties of his responsible 
office, as to win the esteem and love of his flock ; and he 
so commended himself to his brethren throughout New 
England, as to be made their agent in affairs which they 
esteemed of vital interest. His task was soon done ; but 
we have reason to believe it was well done. 



CHAPTEE XIV. 



MR. BACKUS AS AGENT. 



HIS APPOIXTMEXT. — CIRCULAR TO THE CHURCHES. — LETTER TO DR. STEN- 
IfET, OP LOXDOX. — IsOTICE OP MR. DAYIS. — MEETI^'G OP THE ASSOCIATION. 
— ITS ACTION IN RESPECT TO GIVIXO CERTIFICATES. — APPEAL TO THE 
PUBLIC FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. — LETTER TO SAMUEL ADAMS. — BAPTISTS 
OP WARWICK IMPRISONED. — PETITION FOR THEIR RELEASE. — EXTRACT 
FROM A LETTER TO BENJAMIN WALLIN. 



When the Warren Association met, in Sej^tember 1772, 
Mr. Backus was chosen agent, in i^Lace of Mr. Da\ds. This 
office he continued to fill, at the desire of his brethren, for 
ten successive years. It was no sinecure. A Committee 
of Grievances, consisting of eight members besides the 
agent, was likewise appointed. On the 5th of May, 1773, 
six members^ of this committee met in Boston, and agreed 
to^, send the folloT^ing circular to the churches, — a paper 
revealing the conclusions which Mr. Backus had reached, 
after long reflection, on a matter of great practical impor- 
tance : 

"Beloved Fbiexds: — These lines are to acquaint you 
that five of our committee, appointed to care for and 
consult the general good of the Baptist churches in this 
country, especially as to their union and liberties, met 

1 Messrs. Backus, Stillman, Alden, Plimpton, and tlie two Freemans. 



CIRCULAH RESPECTING OPPRESSIONS. ISO 

mth me at Boston, on May 5, 1773, when we received 
accounts that several of our friends at Mendon have lately 
had their goods forcibly taken from them, for ministerial 
rates, and that three more of them at Chelmsford, (two of 
whom were members of the Baptist church there,) were 
seized for the same cause, last winter, and carried prisoners 
to Concord jail ; so that liberty of conscience, the greatest 
and most important article of all liberty, is evidently not 
allowed, as it ought to be in this country, not even by the 
very men who are now making loud complaints of en- 
croachments upon their own liberties. And as it ajDpears 
to us clear that the root of all these difficulties, and that 
which has done amazing mischief in our land, is civil rulers 
assuming a power to make any laws to govern ecclesias- 
tical affairs, or to use any force to support ministers ; there- 
fore, these are to desire you to consider whether it is not 
our duty to strike so directly at this root, as to refuse any 
conformity to their laws about such affairs, even so much 
as giving any certificates to their assessors. We are fully 
persuaded that if we were all united in bearing what 
others of our friends might, for a little while, suffer on- this 
account, a less sum than has already been expended with 
lawyers and courts, on such accounts, would carry us 
through the trial, and, if we should be enabled to treat 
our oppressors with a christian temper, would make strain- 
ing upon others, under pretence of supporting religion, 
appear so odious that they could not get along with it. 
We desire you would consider of these matters, and send 
in your mind to the assembly of our churches, which is 
to meet at Medfield, on the seventh of September next, 
when it will be proposed to have these matters, both as to 
principle and facts, as clearly stated as we can, and to see 
if all our churches cannot agree upon publishing our joint 



190 RESULTS OF THE CIRCULAR. 

testimony for true liberty, and against the oppressions of 
the present day. 

From yours, in gospel bonds, 

Isaac Backus, Agent. 
By advice of the Committee." 

"P. S. Our charter gives other denominations no more 
power to tax the BajDtists, than it does the Baptists to tax 
others ; and in the town of Boston, they have all along 
had this equality, so that there has not been any occasion 
for one society to give certificates to another; and why 
may not the country enjoy the same liberty?" 

The following letter to the Rev. Dr. Stennett, of Lon- 
don, describes the immediate results of the cu'cular just 
given : 

^OIlDDLEBORO', OCT. 9, 1773. 

"Ret. axd dear Sir: As our Association have chosen 
me to be their agent here, in the room of our beloved 
friend, Mr. John Davis, deceased, I am set down to write 
you some answer to yours of Aug. 6, 1772, ad'dressed to 
him. The ill state of his health had induced him to return 
to Pennsylvania before it amved at Boston; it was sent 
after him, but I suppose never reached him. For, with 
Mr. David Jones, he set out on a visit to the western 
Indians, but was taken sick near the Ohio, and after an 
illness of three weeks, died there, the loth of last Decem- 
ber, in the thirty-sixth year of his age. A very just char- 
acter was given him from Philadelphia, in which are these 
words: 'He was an entertaining companion, jDOSsessed 
of uncommon calmness of temper. In preaching, he en- 
deavored to reach the understanding of his audience. 



RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 11^ PENNSYLVANIA. 191 

Educated in the genuine principles of liberty, born under 
one of the happiest of civil constitutions, he felt with the 
keenest sensibility for the oppressed, and when his duty 
called, with a manly and virtuous boldness he defended 
them.' This is a true sketch of the character of that val- 
uable friend we mourn the loss of. 

" Pennsylvania, his native colony, enjoys that religious 
liberty which he soon found the want of here. Upon 
search, he found that our charter gives equal religious lib- 
erty as well as theirs, and that what is called the religious 
establishment in this Province stands only upon some laws 
made by the Congregation alists to support their way, 
which [laws] happened not to be timely discovered by the 
powers at home, but [which] are really in their nature con- 
trary to our charter. And when they tried to call a Pro- 
vincial Synod in 1725, an express was sent from the 
British court against it, in which it was declared that 
their way was not established here. Therefore Mr. Davis 
judged it to be our duty to strike more directly at the 
root of our opj^ressions than we had before done. 

" And though he is taken from us, yet the cause remains 
the same; and last May our committee were called to- 
gether at Boston, when we had late accounts of the suffer- 
ings of our brethren in sundry places and in violation of 
the Pedobaptists' own laws; upon which Ave wrote to 
all our churches to consider and to give their mind upon 
the affair. Accordingly, they sent in their thoughts to our 
association at Medfield, Tuesday, September 7tli; and 
though we were agreed that our Legislature had no riglit to 
impose religious taxes upon us, yet some doubted the expe- 
diency of our now refusing any compliance with their laws 
in that respect ; and since we were not all of a judgment 
in this case, they stood against our coming to any vote 



192 stillman's propositioxs. 

ujDon it, lost our T\'ant of union therein should give an ad- 
vantage to our adversaries. Thus matters labored all day 
Wednesday, until many of the brethren became very 
uneasy about being thus held back. But on Thursday 
morning, Mr. Stillman, who had been against our coming 
to a vote, brought in the following i)aper, which was unani- 
mously adojDted : 

1. That the mind of the association respecting giving or 
not giving certificates, be taken by written vote, in order 
to confine the difference which subsists among us on this 
matter, in the association. 

2. That those churches that agree to neglect the law for 
the future, shall, in a spirit of meekness, plead as the rea- 
son, that they cannot, in conscience, countenance any hu- 
man laws that interfere in the management of the kingdom 
of Christ, which is not of this world. 

3. That the churches which think it expedient to give 
certificates for the present, be advised by letter how many 
are of a contrary mind, and be desired to consider the 
matter against the next association, and to unite with their 
brethren if possible. 

4. That the churches allow each other entire liberty, 
without any hard thoughts one of another. 

5. That all the churches which shall be called to sufier 
through the year, shall transmit an account of such suffer- 
ings to their agent, to be made use of by him as may be 
thought best to subserve the common cause. 

6. That our true state, with what we have transacted at 
this association, be sent to our agents in England, and 
their oiDinion be requested by the next meeting of the 
churches. 

7. That if any are called to sufier, their sister churches 
be applied to, to assist them in their trouble. 



ACTION" OF THE GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE. 193 

"When we came to act upon the first of these articles, 
there appeared thirty-four elders and brethren against giv- 
ing any more certificates, six for it, and three at a loss how 
to act. Then it was voted by all that an appeal to the 
public, which I had read in part to them, should be exam- 
ined by our committee and then published. And our 
association was dismissed in a very comfortable and happy 
manner, and all seemed well pleased with what was done. 
The following week our committee met at Boston and de- 
liberately examined and approved of our appeal, a copy of 
which I now send you. We were privately encouraged in 
this attempt for religious liberty by several members of 
both houses of our great General Court; and the state 
of 23eople's minds of various ranks through New England 
is such that I cannot but hope to obtain our freedom with- 
out a necessity of appealing to his Majesty. The use of force 
in religious afiairs is become odious to great numbers besides 
our own denomination, and that is increasing very fast. 

"Thus, dear sir, I have given you as concise and just an 
account of our state as I can ; and we request the best 
advice from yourself, Dr. Slewalen and Mr. Wallin, that 
you can give us. We are greatly obliged to you all for 
the friendship and favors you have already shown us, espe- 
cially concerning the case of Ashfield, for which we hope 
and pray that God may abundantly reward you. 

"By the printed minutes I send you, it appears that we 
have one thousand one hundred and sixty-one church mem- 
bers in our association, and I suppose there are full as 
many more within the Provinces of Massachusetts and 
New Hampshire only; which arc but two of the four 
governments of New England ; and full two-thirds of 
all those have been baptized within these seventeen years . 
and the abundant evidence I have that the pure doctrines 

17 



194 THE '' APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC." 

of grace set home by the power of the divine Spirit, have 
been the cause of it, affords me unspeakable satisfaction. 
Brother Hinds, who lives nine miles south of me, has been 
favored with a glorious visitation this year, and he has 
baptized four more since the meeting of the association. 
In such a new state and rapid increase of churches, you, 
sir, must be sensible that we stand in great need of the 
best assistance that can be had. I therefore hope for some 
from yourself and brethren to be communicated to 
Your unworthy brother in gospel bonds, 

Isaac Backus.'* 

The " appeal " mentioned in this letter was a pamphlet 
of sixty-two pages. After a preface designed to show that 
civil government is conducive and even necessary to indi- 
vidual freedom, it lays down the position " that God has 
appointed two kinds of government in the world, which 
are distinct in their nature and ought never to be con- 
founded together ; one of which is called civil, the other 
ecclesiastical government," and then proceeds in the first 
section to specify " some essential points of difference be- 
tween them." The next section shows how " civil and 
ecclesiastical affairs are blended together among us, to the 
depriving of many of God's people of that liberty of con- 
science which he has given them." At the close of this 
section an injurious reproach is thus noticed: "Though 
many of us have expended ten or twenty times as much 
in setting up and supporting that worship which we believe 
to be right, as it would have cost us to have continued in 
the fashionable way, yet we are often accused of being 
covetous for dissenting from that way, and refusing to pay 
more money out of our little incomes, to uphold men from 
whom we receive no benefit but rather abuse." Section 




LETTER TO SAMUEL ADAMS. 195 

third gives a brief account of what the Baptists had suf- 
fered under the existing hiws and of their reasons for 
refusing any active compliance with them. These reasons, 
directed chiefly against the giving of certificates, were 
substantially as follows : 1. " Because to give certifi- 
cates implies an acknowledgment that civil rulers have 
a right to set up one religious sect above another ; 
which they have not. 2. Because civil rulers are not 
representatives in religious matters, and therefore have 
no right to impose religious taxes. 3. Because such 
practice emboldens the actors therein to assume God's 
prerogative ; and to judge the hearts of those who do 
not put into their mouths. 4. Because the church is 
to be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ ; and to 
place her trust and love upon any other for temporal 
support, is playing the harlot, and so the way to des- 
troy all religion.^ 5. Because the practice tends to envy, 
hypocrisy, and confusion, and so to the ruin of civil 
society." 

Among the sons of liberty in Massachusetts, no man 
was at this time more distinguiished than Samuel Adams. 
Mr. Backus heartily approved the political views of this 
eminent patriot, and doubtless looked ujDon him as one 
who would be likely to encourage every suitable efibrt 
in behalf of greater religious freedom. He therefore, 
early in the year 1774, addressed to him the following 
letter : 

"January 19, 1774. 
" To Mr. Samuel Adams. 

"Ho:n'oked Sir: As you have long exerted yourself and 
improved your abilities witli great applause, for ci^'il lib- 

lIIosca2: 5. 



196 TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESEXTATIOX. 

erty, I beg leave, though a stranger to your person, to 
address 3'ou upon the cause of rehgious freedom. I fully 
concur with your grand maxim — That it is essential to 
liberty that representation and taxation go together. 
Well then, since people do not vote for representatives 
in our Legislature, from ecclesiastical qualifications, but 
only by virtue of those which are of a civil and worldly 
nature, how can representatives thus chosen have any 
right to imjDose ecclesiastical taxes? Yet they have as- 
sumed and long exercised such a i^ower. For they as- 
sumed a power to comjDcl each town and parish in this 
Province to settle a minister, and have empowered the 
majority of the inhabitants to give away as much of their 
neighbors' estates as they please to their minister ; and 
if they refuse to yield it to them, then to take it by force. 
And I am bold in it that taxes laid by the British Parlia- 
ment upon America are not more contrary to civil fi-ee- 
dom, than these taxes are to the very nature of liberty 
of conscience, which is an essential article in our charter. 
For certainly the discharge of a good conscience towards 
God, as much concerns the supjDort of his worship, as it 
does the attendance uiDon it, though modern nations 
would confine it to the latter. Yea, many take away 
our money to support a way contrary to our consci- 
ences ; and after they have got it, reflect upon us for not 
supporting our own way better. And though many pre- 
tend that the case is not as I have now represented, 
because acts from time to time have been made to ex- 
empt our denomination and others, from taxes to the 
established worship ; yet if we examine we shall find 
that this exemption is just like the proceedings of the 
power at home in taking off some of the taxes which 
they had laid upon this country, while they still claim 



BAPTISTS IN NORTHAMPTON JAIL. 197 

the power to tax us when they please. Two thousand 
dollars will not make good the damages that the Bap- 
tists in this Province have sustained within these ten 
years by being taxed to the other party, and by suing 
for their rights before judges and jurors who were of 
that party. * * * And now for no other crime than re- 
fusing last year to yield any further obedience to that 
taxing law, which is unjustly called an act to exempt 
our denomination from taxes ; a number of people who 
have been my steady hearers for twenty years are, by 
eludge Oliver's direction, taxed to his minister. Our 
reasons for the above refusal I here send you in print. 
And as the act aforesaid, is now out of date, I hope, sir, 
that you will give proof both to the court and to the 
world, that you regard the religious as well as the civil 
rights of your countrymen ; that so a large number of 
as peaceable people and as hearty friends to their coun- 
try as any in the land, may not be forced to carry their 
complaints before those who would be glad to hear that 
the Legislature of Massachusetts deny to their fellow ser- 
vants that liberty which they so earnestly insist upon 
for themselves. A word to the wise is sufficient. There- 
fore I add no more, but am 

Your real friend and humble servant, 

Isaac Backus." 

Less than a month after the date of this letter, Mr. 
Backus received notice, that eighteen men living in 
Warwick, and members of the Baptist society in Royal- 
ston, who had carried in their certificates according to 
law, had recently, February 8th, been shut up in the 
Northampton jail for declining to pay ministerial rates 
in support of the established worship. Without delay 

17* 



198 MEMORIAL TO THE GENERAL COURT. ^ 

he sent the following petition to the General Court, then 
sitting in Boston. 

" Province of the Massachusetts Bay. 
"To his Excellency the Governor, to the Honorable his 
Majesty's Council, with the Honorable House of Re- 
presentatives in General Court assembled at Boston, 
January 26, 1774. 

"The Memorial and Petition of Isaac Backus, Agent for 
the Baptist churches in the province, humbly sheweth : 
That whereas, by the charter of this province, liberty of 
conscience is granted to our denomination, equally with 
other Protestants ; and it was declared to the first General 
Court, after the charter was received, that the magistrate 
is most properly the officer of human society^ and that a 
Christian, by non-conformity to this or that way of wor- 
ship, does not break the terms on which he is to enjoy the 
benefits of human society, and that a man has a right 
unto his life, his estate, his liberty, and his family, notwith- 
standing such non-conformity ; which declaration was then 
received with the thanks of the House of Representatives 
(Magnalia B. 7. p. 28, 29) ; yet it has been a common cus- 
tom, ever since, to imjDose taxes upon the inhabitants in 
general, in every town and precinct in this 2)rovince, to 
support Pedobaptist worship ; and though there have 
been sundry temporary acts made to exempt our denomi- 
nation from such taxes, yet great numbers of them have, 
from time to time, been taxed and despoiled of their 
rights ; and I have direct information, that eighteen men 
of the inhabitants of Warwick, who belong to the Baptist 
society in Royalston, and had the same certified to the 
assessors of Warwick, last June, yet were seized, last 
week, for the minister's rate of that town, and carried pris- 



FATE OF THE MEMORIAL. 199 

oners to ISTorthampton jail; by which they are deprived 
of their precious rights, and their dear families, in a new 
country, are exposed to suffering greatly, for want of their 
help : 

" This is therefore to beseech your Excellency and Hon- 
ors, as guardians of the rights of your people, immediately 
to order these men to be set at liberty, and that reparation 
be made of the damages they have sustained ; and also to 
take some effectual methods, as in your wisdom you shall 
see fit, that for the future all persons within this province, 
who shall demean themselves as good members of civil 
society, may not be despoiled of the aforesaid rights, under 
a pretence of supporting religious worship ; but that all 
persons, who shall presume thus to encroach upon the 
rights of their neighbors, may be punished according to 
the demerit of their crimes. And your ^petitioner, as in 
duty bound, shall ever pray. 

Isaac Backus. 

MiDDLEBORo', Feb. 15, 1774." 

The fate of this memorial, and some further particulars 
respecting the affair to which it related, are mentioned in 
the following extract from a letter to Rev. Benjamin 
Wallin, of London : 

" I have been called to address our Legislature, in be- 
half of a number of our friends, who were seized the 
second week in February, and carried, in that extreme 
season, forty miles, and confined in jail, for a Pedobaptist 
minister's rate ; though most of them had, for many years, 
been of the Baptist denomination, and had lately moved 
into that town. The President of His Majesty's council, 
and several other men of note of both Houses, gave tlieir 
opinion in favor of the first article in the prayer of the 



200 NO EXEMPTION LAW. 

petition ; but the majority turned the case against it. 
Upon which, some friends in Boston sent to our friends in 
i:)rison, to bail themselves out and sue for their rights in 
executive courts, Avhich they did, after being confined 
fifteen days. Upon the other article of providing a more 
effectual remedy against such things for the future, the 
House of Representatives sent out a committee upon it, 
who conferred with Mr. Stillman and others of our com- 
mittee in Boston ; and they framed an act more favorable 
than they had done before, which passed both Houses. 
But in the contest about Judge Oliver, the Court was 
prorogued so abruptly, that it was not laid before the 
Governor ; so that there is no act in force at all in the 
province, to exempt us from taxes to their ministers. But 
the more they stir about it, the more light gains ; so that 
my hojDe of deliverance in due time increases." 



CHAPTER XV. 

VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA. 

MEETING OF THE FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS. — BACKUS' NOTE OF INTRO- 
DUCTION TO IT. — HIS JOURNEY TO PHILADELPHIA. — CONSULTATION WITH 
FRIENDS. — PHILADELPHIA ASSOCIATION APPOINTS A COMMITTEE OF GRIEV- 
ANCES. —MEETING AT CARPENTERS' HALL. — MEMORIAL OF THE BAPTISTS; 
1. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM; 2 GRANTED TO ALL PROTESTANTS BY THE NEW 
CHARTER; 3. EXEMPTION LAWS UNSATISFACTORY; 4. THE LIBERTY DE- 
SIRED. — COLLOQUY ; REMARKS OF JOHN ADAMS, SAMUEL ADAMS, R. T. 
PAINE, MR. GUSHING, AND MR. BACKUS. — ACTION OP THE PHILADELPHIA 
COMMITTEE. — PROMISE OF THE DELEGATES FROM MASSACHUSETTS. 

As the year advanced, the spirit of resistance to the 
claims of England rose higher and higher, and it was at 
length determined, if possible, to unite the separate colo- 
nies in defence of their common rights. To effect this, 
delegates from twelve provinces met in Congress, at Phil- 
adelphia, on the fifth day of September, and entered upon 
their difficult and perilous service. It will be necessary 
for us to follow the subject of our naiTative to this first 
Continental Congress. His own words will best describe 
the reasons and the object of his visit. "A Congress of del- 
egates from our several colonies met in that city, Septem- 
ber 5, 1774, to use their endeavors to preserve and defend 
our liberties, civil and religious, which were greatly threat- 
ened. Our elders, John Gano, of New York, and WilHam 
Van Horne, of Southampton, in Pennsylvania, being at 
Commencement, at Providence, September 7tli, they, with 



202 NOTE TO THE CONTIXEXTAL CONGRESS. 

Mr. Manning and Mr. Hezekiah Smith, of Haverhill, were 
earnest with me to go to Philadelphia, and to see if some- 
thinsr mio^ht not be done to obtain and secure our relioious 
liberties, beyond what we have as yet enjoyed. And in 
om- association, at Medfield, SejDtember 14th, they were 
unanimous for my going, and contributed for it." The 
association gave him this certificate : 

" To the honorable delegates of the several colonies in 
North America, met in a general congress at Phila- 
delphia : 
" HoxoEABLE Gextlemex: — As the Anti-pedobaptist 
churches in Xew England are most heartily concerned for 
the preservation and defence of the rights and privileges 
of this country, and are deeply affected by the encroach- 
ments upon the same, which have lately been made by the 
British Parliament, and are willing to unite with our dear 
countrjTnen, vigorously to jDursue every prudent measure 
for relief; so we would beg leave to say that, as a distinct 
denomination of Protestants, we conceive that we have 
an equal claim to charter rights with the rest of our fellow- 
subjects; and yet have long been denied the fi-ee and full 
enjoyment of those rights, as to the support of religious 
worship. Therefore we, the elders and brethren of twenty 
BajDtist churches, met in association at Medfield, twenty 
miles from Boston, September 14, 1774, have unanimously 
chosen and sent unto you the reverend and beloved Mr. 
Isaac Backus, as our agent, to lay our case, in these 
respects, befor you, or otherwise to use all the prudent 
means he can for our relief 

John Gaxo, JSIoderator^ 
Hez. Smith, ClerkP 



BACKUS AT PHILADELPHIA. 203 

Mr. Backus began his journey to Philadelphia on the 
26th of September. It occupied nearly a fortnight. At 
Providence he met with elders Gano and Van Home, who 
went on with him by land. Old Mr. Chileab Smith joined 
them at Norwich, prepared to testify of the oppressions at 
Ashfield. On the eighth of October they arrived in Phil- 
adelphia, and Mr. Backus was kindly entertained at the 
house of Samuel Davis. On the morrow, it being the 
Lord's day, he preached three times in the pulpit of Rev. 
William Rogers. His diary indicates sufficiently the 
course of events during the next few days. 

"Monday, Oct. 10th. Visited Robert Strettle Jones, 
Esq. in the forenoon, and Mr. Joseph Moulder in the after- 
noon, gentlemen who were desirous of knowing how our 
affairs were in New England, and who , seem willing to 
exert themselves in our favor." 

"Oct. 11th. Our elders Manning and Jones arrived 
with others ; and we had a meeting at Esquire Jones', in 
the evening, where were Israel and James Pemberton, and 
Joseph Fox, principal men among the Quakers, with other 
gentlemen. I then laid open our condition in New Eng- 
land, and, asked their advice, whether to lay the case 
before Congress or not. They advised us not to address 
Congress, as a body, at present, but to seek for a confer- 
ence with the Massachusetts delegates, together with some 
other members who were known to be friendly to religious 
liberty. They also manifested a willingness to be helpful 
in our case." 

" Oct. 12th. Spent the forenoon with Esquire Jones, in 
drawing up a memorial of our case, to lay before the con- 
ference. In the afternoon, the Philadelphia Baptist Asso- 
ciation met in that city, continuing in session three days. 
Before closing, it " made choice," says Mr. Backus, " of a 



20J: CONFERENCE WITH ADAMS AND OTHERS. 

committee of grievances to correspond with ours in New 
England and to jDrosecute such measure^ for our relief as 
they should judge best."^ 

"Oct. 14th. In the evening there met at Carpenters' Hall, 
Thomas Gushing, Samuel Adams, John Adams, and Robert 
Treat Paine, Esqrs., delegates from Massachusetts; and 
there were also present James Kinzie of New Jersey, Ste- 
phen Hopkins and Samuel Ward of Rhode Island, Joseph 
Galloway and Thomas Miflin, Esqrs., of Pennsylvania, and 
other members of Gongress. Mr. Rhodes, Mayor of the 
city of Philadelphia, Israel and James Pemberton, and 
Joseph Fox, Esqrs., of the Quakers and other gentlemen, 
also elders Manning, Gano, Jones, Rogers, Edwards, etc., 
were present. The conference was opened by Mr. Man- 
ning, who made a short speech, and then read the memo- 
rial which we had drawn up." 

The memorial here referred to was as follows : 

" It has been said by a celebrated writer in politics, that 
but two things were worth contending for, — Religion and 
Liberty. For the latter we are at present nobly exerting 
ourselves through all this extensive continent; and surely 
no one whose bosom feels the patriot glow in behalf of 
civil liberty, can remain torpid to the more ennobling 
flame of Religious Freedom. 

"The free exercise of private judgment, and the unalien- 
able rights of conscience, are of too high a rank and dig- 
nity to be subjected to the decrees of councils, or the im- 

1 The names of the committee were :* Mr. Samuel Davis, Mr. Stephen 
Shewell, Mr. Thomas Shields, Mr. George Westcott, Rev. William Rogers, 
Rev. Morgan Edwards, Rev. Wm. Van Home, Rev. Samuel Jones, Benja- 
min Bartholomew, Esq., Alexander Edwards, Esq., Robert S. Jones, Esq., 
John Evans, Esq., John Mayhew, Esq., Edward Keasby, Esq., Samuel 
Miles, Esq., Abel Evans, Esq., Mr. Abraham Beakley, Mr. James Morgan, 
Mr. John Jarman. 



MEMORIAL TO THE CONGRESS. 205 

perfect laws of fallible legislators. The merciful Father 
of mankind is the alone Lord of conscience. Establish- 
ments may be enabled to confer worldly distinctions and 
secular importance. They may make hypocrites, but can- 
not create Christians. They have been reared by craft or 
power, but liberty never flourished perfectly under their 
control. That liberty, virtue, and public happiness can be 
supi3orted without them, this flourishing province^ is a 
glorious testimony ; and a view of it would be sufficient to 
invalidate all the most elaborate arguments ever adduced 
in support of them. Happy in the enjoyment of these 
undoubted rights, and conscious of their high import, 
every lover of mankind must be desirous, as far as oj^por- 
tunity ofiers, of extending and securing the enjoyment of 
these inestimable blessings. 

" These reflections have arisen from considering the un- 
happy situation of our brethren, the Baptists, in the pro- 
vince of Massachusetts Bay, for whom we now appear as 
advocates ; and from the important light in which liberty 
in general is now beheld, we trust our representation will 
be effectual. The province of the Massachusetts Bay, be- 
ing settled by persons who fled from civil and religious 
oppression, it would be natural to imagine them deeply 
impressed with the value of liberty, and nobly scorning a 
domination over conscience. But such was the com- 
plexion of the times, they fell from the unhappy state of 
being oppressed, to the more deplorable and ignoble one 
of becoming oppressors. 

" But these things being passed over, we intend to begin 
with the charter obtained at the happy restoration. Tliis 
charter grants, 'that there shall be liberty of conscience 
allowed in the worship of God, to all Christians except 

1 Pennsylvania. 
18 



206 A HISTORICAL REVIEAV. 

Papists, inhabiting or whicli shall inhabit or be resident 
within this province or territory ; ' or in the words of the 
late Governor Hutchinson, ' We find nothing in the new 
charter, of an ecclesiastical constitution. Liberty of con- 
science is granted to all except Papists.' The first Gene- 
ral Court that met under this charter, returned their 
thanks for the following sentiments delivered before them: 
— 'That the magistrate is most properly the ofiicer of 
human society ; that a Christian by non-conformity to this 
or that imposed way of worship, does not break the terms 
upon which he is to enjoy the benefits of human society; 
and that a man has a right to his estate, his liberty, and 
his family, notwithstanding his non-confomiity.' And on 
this declaration the historian who mentions it, plumes him- 
self, as if the whole future system of an impartial adminis- 
tration was to begin. By laws made during the first char- 
ter, such persons only Avere entitled to vote for civil rulers 
as were church-members. This might be thought by some 
to give a shadow of ecclesiastical power; but by the pre- 
sent [charter] ' Every freeholder of thirty pounds sterling 
per annum, and every other inhabitant who has forty 
pounds personal estate, are voters for representatives. So 
that here seems an evident foundation to jDresume they are 
only elected for the preservation of civil rights, and the 
management of temporal concernments. Nevertheless 
they soon began to assume the power of establishing Con- 
gregational worship, and taxed all the inhabitants towards 
its support ; and no Act was passed to exempt other de- 
nominations from the year 1692 to 1727, when the Episco- 
palians were permitted to enjoy theif rights. 

^'The first Act for the relief of the Baptists was in 1728, 
when their polls only were exempted from taxation, and 
not their estates ; and then only of such as lived within 



EXEMPTION ACTS UNSATISEACTOKY. 207 

five miles of a Baptist Meeting-house. The next year, 
1729, thirty persons were apprehended and confined in 
Bristol jail; some churchmen, some friends, but most of 
the Baptist denomination. Roused by these oppressions, 
the Baptists and Quakers petitioned the General Court; 
being determined if they could not obtain redress, to apply 
to his Majesty in council. Wherefore the same year, a 
law was passed exempting their estates and polls; but 
clogged however with a limitation, for less than five years. 
At the expiration of this Act, in 1733, our brethren were 
obliged again to apply to the General Assembly; upon 
which a third Act was passed, 1734, exempting Baptists 
from paying ministerial taxes. This third Act was more 
clear, accurate and better drawn than any of the former ; 
but for want of a penalty on the returning officer, badly 
executed, subjecting our brethren to many hardships and 
oppressions. This Act expired in 1740, and another was 
made for seven years ; but still liable to the same defects. 
In 1747, the Baptists and friends, wearied with fruitless 
applications to the assemblies, once more proposed apj)ly- 
ing at home for relief, when the laws exempting them were 
reenacted for ten years, the longest space ever granted. 

"To show what the liberty was that these unhappy 
l^eople enjoyed, it will be necessary, though we aim as 
much as possible at brevity, just to mention that if at 
any time a Baptist sued a collector for the breach of 
these laws, any damages he recovered were laid on the 
town, and the Baptists residing therein were thereby 
obliged to pay their proportionable part towards his 
indemnification. At this time such an instance occurred 
in the case of Sturbridge, when Jonathan Perry sued 
the collector, Jonathan Mason, and the damages were 
sustained by the town, though the Baptists in town 



208 BIAS OF JUDGES AND JURIES. 

meeting dissented. And here it may not be improper 
to observe, that the judges and jury are under the strong- 
est bias to determine for the defendants. In the begin- 
ning of the year 1753, an act was passed, breaking in 
upon the time limited, enacting that "no minister or 
member of an Anabaptist church shall be esteemed quali- 
fied to give certificates, other than such as shall have 
obtained, from three other churches commonly called Ana- 
baptist, in this or the neighboring Provinces, a certificate 
from each respectively, that they esteem such church of 
their denomination, and that they conscientiously believe 
them to be Anabaptists.' 

"But not to take too much of 'your time, we would here 
just observe that all th6 laws have been made tempor- 
ary, and without any penalty on the collector or asses- 
sors for the breach of the law, and come more parti- 
cularly to speak of the law passed at the last June 
session ; as it has been generally understood to be so 
framed as to take away complaint and establish a gen- 
eral liberty of conscience. This act is like all the others, 
temporary, and indeed limited to a shorter duration than 
most of them, being only for three years. It is without 
any penalty on the breach of it, and an additional trouble 
and expense is enjoined by recording the certificates every 
year, (though in some others obtaining one certificate dur- 
ing the existence of the law was sufficient,) and concludes 
thus : ' That nothing in this act shall be construed to 
exempt any proprietor of any new township from pay- 
ing his part and portion with the major part of the other 
proprietors of such new township, in settling a minister 
.and building a meeting-house, which hath been or shall 
be required as a condition of their grant.' 

"And here we would just add a few words relative 



MASSACHUSETTS CHARTER INFRINGED. 209 

to the affairs of Aslifield. On the 26th day of Decem- 
ber next, three lots of land belonging to people of our 
denomination, will be exposed for sale ; one of them for 
the payment of so small a sum as ten shillings eleven 
pence. Although we have given but two instances of 
oppression under the above laws, yet a great number can 
be produced, well attested, when called for. 

" Upon this short statement of facts we would observe, 
that the charter must be looked upon by every impartial 
eye to be infringed, so soon as any law was passed for 
the establishment of any particular mode of worship. 
All Protestants are placed upon the same footing ; and 
no law whatever could disannul so essential a part of a 
charter intended to communicate the blessings of a free 
government to his Majesty's subjects. Under the first 
charter, as was hinted, church-membership conferred the 
rights of a freeman ; but by the second, the possession 
of property was the foundation. Therefore, how could 
it be supposed that the collective body of the people in- 
tended to confer any other power upon their represen- 
tatives than that of making laws relative to property 
and the concerns of this life ? 

"Men unite in society, according to the great Mr. Locke, 
'with an intention in every one the better to preserve 
himself, his liberty and property. The j^ower of the so- 
ciety, or Legislature constituted by them, can never be 
supposed to extend any further than the common good, 
but is obliged to secure every one's property.' To give 
laws, to receive obedience, to compel with the sword, 
belong to none but the civil magistrate ; and on tliis 
ground we affirm that the magistrate's power extends 
not to the establishing any articles of faith or forms of 
worship, by force of laws ; for laws are of no force with- 

18* 



210 THE LIBERTY DESIRED. 

out penalties. The care of souls cannot belong to the 
civil magistrate, because his power consists only in out- 
ward force; bat pure and saving religion consists in the 
inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing 
can be acceptable to God. 

"It is a just position, and cannot be too firmly estab- 
lished, that we can have no property in that which an- 
other may take, when he pleases, to himself; neither 
can we have the proper enjo}Tnent of our religious lib- 
erties, (which must be acknowledged to be of greater 
value,) if held by the same unjust and capricious tenure; 
and this must appear to be the case when temporary laws 
pretend to grant relief so very inadequate. 

"It may now be asked — WJtat is the liberty desired? 
The answer is; as the kingdom of Christ is not of this 
world, and religion is a concern between God and the soul 
with which no human authority can intermeddle; con- 
sistently with the principles of Christianity, and according 
to the dictates of Protestantism, we claim and expect 
the liberty of worshipping God according to our con- 
sciences, not being obliged to support a ministry we 
cannot attend, whilst we demean ourselves as faithful 
subjects. These we have an undoubted right to, as men, 
as Christians, and by charter as inhabitants of Massachu- 
setts Bay." 

After Dr. Manning had taken his seat, Mr. Backus says : 
" The delegates from Massachusetts used all their arts 
to represent that we complained without reason. John 
Adams made a long speech, and Samuel Adams another; 
both of whom said, ' There is, indeed, an ecclesiastical es- 
tablishment in our province ; but a very slender one, 
hardly to be called an establishment.' When they would 
permit, we brought up facts, which they tried to explain 



RESPONSE OF SAMUEL ADAMS AND OTHERS. 211 

away, but could not. Then they shifted their plea, and 
asserted that our General Court was clear of blame, and 
had always been ready to hear our complaints, and to grant 
all reasonable help, whatever might have been done by 
executive officers ; and S. Adams and R. T. Paine spent 
near an hour more on this plea. When they sto23ped, I 
told them I was very sorry to have any accusations to 
bring against the government which I belonged to, and 
which I would gladly serve to the utmost of my power ; 
but I must say that facts proved the contrary to their 
plea ; and gave a short acccount of our Legislature's 
treatment of Ashfield, which was very puzzling to them. 
In their pleas, S. Adams tried to represent that regular 
Baptists were quite easy among us ; and more than once 
insinuated that these complaints came from enthusiasts 
who made it a merit to suffer persecution ; and also, that 
enemies to the Colonies had a hand therein. Paine said, 
' There was nothing of conscience in the matter ; it was 
only a contending about paying a little money ; and also 
that we would not be neighborly, and let them know who 
we were, which was all they wanted, and they Avould read- 
ily exempt us ? ' 

"In answer, I told them they might call it enthusiasm or 
what they pleased ; but I freely own, before all these gen- 
tlemen, that it is absolutely a point of conscience with me; 
for I cannot give in the certificates they require, without 
implicitly acknowledging that power in man which I be- 
lieve belongs only to God. This shocked them ; and 
Cushing said: 'It quite altered the case; for if it were a 
point of conscience, he had nothing to say to that.' And 
the conference, of about four hours' continuance, closed 
with their j)romising to do what they could for our relief; 
though, to deter us from thinking of their coming upon 



212 UNSATISFACTORY RESULT. 

equal footing with us, as to religion, John Adams, at one 
time, said we might as well expect a change in the solar 
system, as to expect they would give up their establish- 
ment;^ and, at another time, he said we might as soon 
expect they would submit to the Port Bill, the Regulating 
Bill, and the Murder Bill, as to give up that establishment, 
which he and his friend, in the beginning of their plea, 
called a very slender thing. Such absurdities does reli- 
gious tyranny produce in great men." 

The language and bearing of the delegates from Massa- 
chusetts, in this conference, were such as to diminish 
greatly the value of their closing promise. The commit- 
tee appointed by the Philadelphia Association held a 
meeting the next evening, and in their records say, "we 
think it did appear that the delegates from Boston were 
determined to support the claim the Legislature make to a 
right to make penal laws in matters of religion." It was 
also resolved, "That the Committee, not being satisfied 
with the declaration made last evening by the delegates 
from Massachusetts Bay, are determined to pursue every 
prudent measure, to obtain a full and complete redress of 
all grievances, for our brethren in New England." Gentle- 
men were appointed to deliver to each of the delegates a 
copy of the memorial read by Dr. Manning, a copy of 
this resolve, and a copy of Mr. Backus' " Appeal to the 
Public." 

According to the records of the Committee, the gentle- 
men to whom this service was assigned made report Oct. 
22, 1774, that "they delivered to the delegates from Massa- 
chusetts Bay copies of the foregoing resolve," etc., "who 
said they would endeavor all in their power to obtain a 

1 Compare Appendix F. 



LIMIT OF BACKUS'S DEMANDS. 213 

redress of grievances, and as the situation of the Baptists 
in Boston was satisfactory, they would endeavor to diffuse 
the same spirit to the remotest parts of the colony." It 
may be remarked that Mr. Backus had declared in the 
conference, that he would be satisfied if the Baptists in the 
country might have the same liberty which their brethren 
had in Boston. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

SHARP CONTROVERSY. 

OBJECT OP BACKUS' VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA MISKEPRESEXTED. — ADDRESS 
TO THE CO^'GIlESS OF MASSACHUSETTS; TAXATION AISTD REPKESEls'TATION ; 
CHURCH AND STATE; COERCION FOR THE SUPPORT OP RELIGION; OBJECT 
OP BACKUS IN GOING TO PHILADELPHIA; OPPRESSION IN ASHFIELD, MON- 
TAGUE, AND GORHAM; DEMANDS OP THE BAPTISTS. — LETTER OP DR. 
SMITH ON ITS RECEPTION. — RESOLVE OP THE CONGRESS. — LETTER FROM 
THE PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE. — REPLY OP BACKUS. — MEMORIAL TO 
THE GENERAL COURT. — RECEPTION OF IT. —DR. FLETCHER'S LETTER. — 
ADDRESS TO CHRISTIANS. 

Whether it Tras wise or imTvise in the Baptists of 
New England to send their agent to Philadelphia^ at this 
time, may perhaps be doubtful ; but there can be no doubt 
of his hearty sympathy with the love of liberty which 
animated the members of the first Congress, and his 
strong desire for the union of the several colonies, in 
defence of their civil rights. He visited Philadelphia for 
a single purpose ; but it was a j^urpose, as he conceived, in 
absolute harmony with the ultimate object of this Con- 
gress, namely, the vindication of natural or chartered 
rights. Yet, when the Congress was dissolved, Oct. 26th, 
and Mr. Paine, one of the Massachusetts delegation, had 
returned as far as Newport, Rhode Island, a report was 
spread fi'om that place, " as coming from him," that Mr. 
Backus went to Philadelphia in order to prevent the colo- 
nies fi-om uniting in defence of their liberties. The pro- 
ceedings of the conference were also grossly misrej^resented 



XSSERTIO]^S OF BR. EZRA STILES. 215 

by this report. In a letter from President Manning, to one 
of his friends, dated December 2, 1774, he mentions the 
following assertions, made by Dr. Ezra Stiles, at Newport : 
" That the Baptists had made an application to the con- 
gress against the Massachusetts Bay; that the delegates 
of that province expected only a private interview with 
some of the Baptists, but instead of that, when they came, 
they found a house full, etc. ; that they were attacked and 
treated in the most rude and abusive manner ; that the 
Baptists pretended they were oppressed, but after all their 
endeavors, they could only complain of a poor four-pence ; 
that they were ashamed of their errand, and gave up their 
point, except one or two impudent fellows, who, with 
Israel Pemberton, abused them. in a most scandalous man- 
ner ; that all the delegates present were surprised at and 
ashamed of them, and thought they complained without 
the least foundation," etc. Then Dr. Stiles added : " WheJi 
we have the power i?z our own hands^ we will remember 
themr 

Finding that such false and injurious reports were in 
circulation, and that the first parish in Middleboro' had 
voted to tax all the Baptists within its limits who did not 
give in certificates, Mr. Backus met the Committee of 
Grievances at Boston, December 31st, and they drcAV up 
the following address, and sent it to the Congress of Mas- 
sachusetts, then in session : . 

" To the honorable Congress of the Massachusetts prov- 
ince, convened at Cambridge, Nov. 22, 1774. 
" Honored Ge:n-tlemen : At a time when all America 
are alarmed at the open and violent attempts that have 
been made against their liberties, it affords great cause of 
joy and thankiulness, to see the colonies so happily united 



216 TWO MAIN RIGHTS. 

to defend their rights; and particularly that their late 
Continental Congress have been directed into measures so 
wise and sahitary for obtaining relief and securing our 
future liberties; and who have wisely extended their 
regards to the rights and freedom of the poor Africans. 
Since then the law of equity has prevailed so far, we hope 
that it will move this honorable assembly to pay a just 
regard to their English neighbors and brethren at home. • 

" It seems that the two main rights which all America are 
contending for at this day, are — Not to be taxed where 
they are not represented, and — To have their causes tried 
by unbiased judges. And the Baptist churches in this 
province as heartily unite with their countrymen in this 
cause, as any denomination in the land ; and are as ready 
to exert all their abilities to defend it. Yet only because 
they have thought it to be their duty to claim an equal 
title to these rights with their neighbors, they have repeat- 
edly been accused of evil attempts against the general wel- 
fare of the colony ; therefore, we have thought it expedi- 
ent to lay a brief statement of the case before this assem- 
bly. 

" It is well known that a freehold of forty shillings ster- 
ling a year, or a personal estate of forty pounds, gives any 
inhabitant in this province a right to vote for representa- 
tives in our Legislature ; and can constituents give their 
representatives any power which they never had them- 
selves ? If not, then they never were empowered to lay 
any taxes but what were of a ciiil and worldly nature ; 
and to impose religious taxes is as much out of their juris- 
diction, as it can be for Britian to tax America ; yet how 
much of this has been done in this province. Indeed, 
many try to elude the force of this reasoning by saying 
that the taxes which our rulers impose for the su2)port of 



ARGUMENT AGAINST RATES. 217 

ministers, are of a civil nature. But it is certain that they 
call themselves ministers of Christ; and the taxes now 
referred to are to support them under that name; and 
they either are such, or else they deceive the peo|)le. If 
they are Christ's ministers, he has made laws enough to 
support them ; if they are not, where are the rulers who 
will dare to compel people to maintain men who call them- 
selves Christ's ministers when they are not? Those who 
ministered about holy things and at God's altar in the 
Jewish church, partook of and lived upon the things which 
were freely offered there ; Even so hath the Lord ordained 
that they who preach the Gospel^ should live of the Gospel. 
And such communications are called sacrifices to God 
more than once in the New Testament.^ And why may 
not civil rulers appoint and enforce with the sword^ any 
other sacrij&ce as well as this ? 

"Although by an express law of God, Israel were required 
to give a tenth of all their increase to the Levites, etc., yet 
we are so far from finding that their civil rulers were ever 
allowed to use force to collect the same, that instead 
thereof, we find that they were sons of JBelial^ and persons 
who perverted judgment and abhorred all equity^ who 
attempted any such thing.^ Civil rulers ought undoubt- 
edly to be nursing fathers to the church, by reproof, exhor- 
tation, and their own good and liberal example, as well as 
to protect and defend her against injustice and oppression ; 
but the very notion of taxing all to support any religious 
denomination, tends to bias its professors against all sucli 
a» dissent from it ; and so to deprive them of having un- 
biased judges; for every man knows that so much money 
as he can get from a neighbor to support his minister, so 

1 1 Cor. 9 : 13, 14. Phil. 4 : 18. Acts 13: 15—17. 
2 1 Sam. 2: 12, 16. Mic. 3: 5—9. 
19 



218 THE PHILADELPHIA CONFERENCE. 

much he saves to himself. As we are fully persuaded that 
there is not a man in this honorable assembly, but what if 
he had suffered a quarter so much as many Baptists have 
from interested judges, would think it high time to be in 
earnest to have this pernicious evil removed. Two thou- 
sand dollars will not make good the damages the Baptists 
in this province have suffered on this account, within these 
twelve years, as we can make appear by facts. 

" Therefore, when our churches understood that the Con- 
gress at Philadelphia was designed, not only to seek pre- 
sent relief, but also to lay a foundation for the future wel- 
fare of our country, they desired me to repair to that city, 
and with the best advice I could obtain, to try if some- 
thing could not be done to obtain and secure full religious 
liberty to our denomination with others. I proceeded 
accordingly, and with a number of gentlemen and friends, 
had a conference with the honored delegates of this pro- 
vince, upon this subject; but one of them repeatedly de- 
clared that he believed this attempt proceeded from the 
enemies of America; the injustice of which inflection, let 
facts declare. 

" For although they then asserted, that if a society of 
Quakers or Baptists regularly settled a minister of their 
own persuasion in a new town, it answered the design of 
the last paragraph in the law our court made us last June ; 
yet it is certain that after the Baptists of Ashfield had so 
settled a minister, a Pedobaptist minister was brought in, 
and the Baptists were taxed to him for five years; and 
then they petitioned our Legislature for relief, who gave 
them encouragement of it, yet in a few days made a law 
that cut them off from any liberty on that account at all ; 
and they in time and money, spent fifly pounds lawful cur- 
rency in petitioning for the removal of that burden, and 



ASHFIELD LAW DISANNULLED. 219 

could get no help. Then onr united churches addressed 
the court upon it ; but in a few days, a piece dated from 
the place where the court was sitting, was published in the 
Boston newspapers, insinuating that the Baptists had 
complained without any reason. And when the worthy 
Mr. Davis, (now at rest,) answered it by reciting the fact 
of Ashfield, he was accused in a succeeding paper, as we 
have now been, of being an enemy to the colonies. There 
being thus no hope of relief here, that Ashfield law was 
sent home, and was disannulled by his majesty in council. 
And from that and other evidence, we have reason to 
think that an ear was open there to hear our further com- 
plaints; but we have never sent any other, as we would 
not injure the general cause ; and hoped that at last our 
countrymen would be brought to regard our rights. But 
alas ! the very laws that have been made about us, have 
proved to many to be only a snare to get away our 
money, 

" The Baptists at Montague took advice of a lawyer, and 
endeavored to comply with your law, according to his 
direction; yet they were taxed and strained upon; they 
sued for relief in your courts, which was so far from help- 
ing them that it took away one hundred and fifteen dol- 
lars more. The Baptists in Haverhill took the same 
method; but the case was turned against them, which 
cost them about three hundred dollars. A Baptist church 
was regularly formed at Gorham, in 1768, and Mr. Joseph 
Moody of Scarborough, a member of it, yearly had tlie 
same certified to the assessors of his town, yet still he has 
been taxed and strained upon; and when he petitioned 
our Legislature last winter for help, we are credibly in- 
formed that his petition was thrown out, because Mr. 
M:irch, the representative from Scarborough, said, — tJtere 



220 INSTANCES OF OPPRESSION. 

loas no baptist church iJi Gorham. The Baptists in War- 
wick comi^lied with your law, yet were taxed to the parish 
minister; and for it eighteen of them were imprisoned 
about forty miles from home, in the extremity of last 
winter; and when our General Court were addressed 
upon it, they afforded no heljD. The Baj^tists in Chelms- 
ford complied with your law, yet they were taxed; and 
three of them were imprisoned in January, 1773 ; and 
Avhen they sued for recompense, their case was shifted off 
from court to court, till it has cost them above a hundred 
dollars ; and when the Superior Court, at Charlestown, 
last April, vrere constrained to give Xathan Crosby his 
case, as ha^T-Ug been taxed and imprisoned unlawfally, yet 
they gave him but three pounds damages and costs of 
court ; and at the same time judged that the constable 
who earned him to prison should recover costs of Crosby 
for his so doing. If this is unbiased judgment, we know 
not what bias means. Must we be blamed for not Ipng 
still, and thus let our countrymen trample upon our rights, 
and deny us that very liberty that they are ready to take 
up arms to defend for themselves ? You j^rofess to ex- 
empt us from taxes to your worship, and yet tax us every 
year. Great complaints have been made about a tax 
which the British Parliament laid upon paj^er; but you 
require a 2Da2:>er tax of us annually. 

"That which has made the greatest noise, is a tax of 
three pence a pound u2~>on tea ; but yom^ law of last June 
laid a tax of the same sum every year upon the Baptists 
in each parish, as they would expect to defend themselves 
against a greater one. And only because the BajDtists in 
Middleboro' have refused to i3ay that little tax, we hear 
that the first parish in said tOT^m have this fall voted to 
lay a gi-eater tax upon us. All America are alarmed at 



CHARTER RIGHTS CLAIMED. 221 

the tea tax ; though, if they please, they can avoid it by 
not buying the tea; but we have no such liberty. "We 
must either pay the little tax, or else your people appear 
even in this time of extremity, determined to lay the 
great one upon us. But these lines are to let you know, 
that we are determined not to pay either of them ; not only 
upon your principle of not being taxed where we are not 
rejDresented, but also because we dare not render that 
homage to any earthly power, which I and many of my 
brethren are fully convinced belongs only to God. We 
cannot give in the certificates you require, without im- 
plicitly allowing to men that authority which we believe 
in our consciences belongs only to God. Here, therefore, 
we claim charter rights, liberty of conscience. And if any 
still deny it to us, they must answer it to Him who has 
said, 'With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured 
to you again.' 

" If any ask what we would have, we answer : Only allow 
us freely to enjoy the religious liberty that they do in 
Boston, and we ask no more. 

"We remain hearty friends to our country, and ready to 
do all in our power for its general welfare. 

Isaac Backus, 
Agent for the Baptist Churches in this Province. 
By advice of their Committee. 

Boston, Dec. 2, 1774." 

In a letter to President Manning, dated January 20, 
1775, Dr. Hezekiah Smith, of Haverhill, thus describes tlie 
reception of this address. 

"Will you believe that the old persecuting spirit re- 
mained in Massachusetts Bay ? I know you will believe 
your old friend, if he asserts it. Mr. Joseph Haynes was 

19* 



222 TREATMENT OE BACKUS'S PETITION. 

one of the Provincial Congress, when Mr. Backus sent in 
a petition in behalf of the Baj^tists, to see if they would 
use their influence to free them from their oppressions, 
etc. ; who gave me the following account in substance. — 
Mr. Hancock, the President, informed the House that Mr. 
Backus had sent in a petition to them in behalf of the 
Baptists, etc., and with a smile, asked them whether it 
should be read, or not ? One answered : No ; we are no 
ecclesiastical court, and have no business with it. An- 
other, another and another agreed to the same. At last, 
one of the members got up and said ; — This is very ex- 
traordinary, that we should pay no regard to a denomina- 
tion who in the place where he lived were as good mem- 
bers of society as any, and were equally engaged with 
others in the defence of their civil liberties, and motioned 
to have it read. Another seconded the motion. Upon 
which it was read. Then it was j3roposed to know whether 
they should act upon it or not. It was generally agreed 
not to do anything about it, but throw it out ; when Mr. 
Adams got up and said, he was aj^prehensive, if they threw 
it out, it might cause a division among the provinces ; and 
it was his advice to do something with it. Upon which, 
they chose a committee to sit uj^on it ; who reported that 
they were no ecclesiastical court, and had no business 
with it. If the Baptists were opi^ressed, they might ajD- 
ply to the General Court." 

The resolution passed by this Congress in answer to the 
address given above, reads thus : 

"In Provincial Congress, Cambridge, Dec. 9, 1774. 

" On reading the memorial of the Reverend Isaac Backus, 
agent to the Baptist churches in this government : 

" Resolved, That the establishment of civil and religious 
liberty to each denomination in the j^jrovince, is the sin- 



RESOLVE OE THE CONGRESS. 223 

cere wish of this Congress. But being by no means 
vested with powers of civil government, whereby they 
can redress the grievances of any person whatever, they 
therefore recommend to the Baptist churches, that when 
a General Assembly shall be convened in this colony, they 
lay the real grievances of said churches before the same, 
when and where this petition will most certainly meet 
with all that attention due to the memorial of a denomi- 
nation of Christians so well disposed to the public weal of 
their country. 

By order of the Congress. 

John Hancock, President. 

A true extract from the minutes. 

Benjamin Lincoln, Secretary." 

This resolution was forwarded to Mr. Backus in the 

following note. 

"Boston, Dec. 14, 1744. 

"Rev. Sir: — In obedience to the direction of the Pro- 
vincial Congress, I now transmit to you the enclosed Re- 
solve. I hope the time will soon come w^hen all our 
grievances shall be removed. 

I am, Rev. Sir, your most humble servant, 

BE:^rj. Lincoln." 

Meanwhile Mr. Backus had previously ascertained the 
doings of the Congress at Cambridge, and had written to 
the committee at Philadelphia. Early the next spring he 
received an answer from which we select the following 
passage. 

"In our dispute about religious liberty, we must take 
into consideration, that it is against the interest of the 
people we apply to, to grant us any remedy. If we 
should be eased of the burden of contributing towards the 
support of Congregational ministers, the expense will fall 



22-1 THE SAFE COURSE FOR BAPTISTS. 

the heavier on those who attend that worship; conse- 
quently great interest w^ill be made to prevent any act, 
effectually to answer our wishes, from passing through the 
Legislature. If we fail in procuring redress here, our 
only resource will be to apply on the other side the At- 
lantic. This channel we ought ever to keep open, and not 
to preclude ourselves by our own conduct, from being 
heard there with that attention and favor that our case 
will require. Our conduct ought to be such as to prevent 
us, on the one hand, from being deemed enemies to our 
country; and to secure to us, on the other, a favorable re- 
ception at the throne, if it should be necessary to apj^ly 
there at a future day. These two grand things we ought 
to have constantly in view ; and I must differ in opinion 
from you about the propriety of addressing your Provin- 
cial Congress. They are and will be undoubtedly looked 
upon by government at home, as men who are illegally 
and in direct opposition to lawful authority, exercising 
legislative and executive powers of government ; a pro- 
cedure which must highly incense his Majesty against 
them, and against those who so publicly and avowedly 
recognize their authority as you have done in presenting 
to them your petition, and praying them to interpose their 
authority to relieve you from the mischievous effects of 
an act of the Legislature ; thereby tacitly acknowledging 
their power to be equal to that constitutional body that 
passed the law. The same reasons will hold good, and the 
same mischief will attend applications made to any other 
constitutional body or congress, provincial or continental, 
that may be hereafter. 

By order of the Committee, 

R. Strettle Jois-ES, President. 
March 23- 1775/' 



LETTER OF BACKUS TO JONES. 225 

It will be recollected that the colonies had not yet 
severed themselves from the mother country, and that the 
people of 'New Jersey and Pennsylvania were strongly dis- 
inclined to such a step. They looked forward to a change 
of policy at the British court, and desired still as hereto- 
fore to hold a provincial relation to England. At fhe 
same time they suspected the people of New England, and 
particularly of Massachusetts, of aiming at independence ; 
little imagining how soon they themselves would catch 
the spirit of the eastern colonies and renounce their alle- 
giance to the crown. The reply of Mr. Backus shows 
that he was not anticipating the necessity of an appeal to 
the throne, but was chiefly solicitous to be known in his 
true character as a friend to the liberties of his country as 
well as to religious liberty. 

" MiDDLEBORO', Aug. 16, 1775. 

" Honored and beloved : Your favor of March 23d I 
received, and soon wrote to appoint a meeting of our com- 
mittee at Boston, in order that we might return you the 
best answer in our power. But alas! before the time 
came, Boston was shut up, our friends dispersed, and I 
know not where all our committee are, to this day, and 
those that I have intelligence of, the nearest is about 
thirty miles from me ; and Mr. Smith, of Haverhill, is over 
seventy, so that we have done nothing as a committee 
since. Mr. Manning lately sent word to remind me of the 
advice of our congress, last December ; I have therefore 
drawn up the enclosed memorial, which I send for your 
advice upon it ; and shall not present it before our associa- 
tion meets at Warren, which is to be September 12th. 

"Perhaps if you review our address to the congress, 
you will find that you went a little too far in calling it a 



226 MEMORIAL TO THE LEGISLATURE. 

petition^ praying them to interpose their authority to re- 
lieve us. Sure I am that I did not understand it in that 
light. In your letter you well observe the importance of 
conducting so as not to be deemed enemies to our coun- 
try. Now, Mr. Paine represented my errand to your city 
to be such, at Newport, on his return ; and from him, Dr. 
Stiles and others had spread the slander to Providence 
and elsewhere, before I arrived there in November. And 
when I came home I heard that the Pedobaptists had de- 
termined to tax our people ; which they have since done 
in Middleboro' and other places. Therefore I thought an 
address to our congress might stop the spread of such 
slander, might check their violence towards our friends, 
and also prevent their saying any more that they did not 
know that we pleaded conscience in not giving in certifi- 
cates ; and it has answered these ends. * * * 

Isaac Backus." 

When the General Court met at Watertown, Sept. 20, 
1775, Mr. Backus sent in a memorial which sketched with 
great plainness of speech the policy of Massachusetts 
from the first towards those who were not of the standing 
order, and insisted, as usual, upon the right of every man 
to freedom from legal control in the worship of God and 
in the support of that worship. 

In a letter dated Oct. 4, 1775, Mr. Backus says this 
memorial was read in the Assembly last Saturday ; where- 
upon Major Hawley rose, and among other things "told 
the Assembly that though the language of the memorial 
might not be so polished or polite as some others would 
have used, yet the matters it contained were weighty, and 
the Baptists had undoubtedly been injuiiously treated ; he 
desired that these things might be deliberately considered, 



REPORT THEREON. 227 

that the petition might lie on the table for some time, and 
a future day be appointed to take it up. * * * 

Isaac Backus." 

The Assembly agreed with this view of the case, and on 
Friday, Oct. 6, the memorial was taken up and read the 
second time. After some debate, it was referred to a com- 
mittee of seven, three of whom were Baptists. The fol- 
lowing letter to Mr. Backus, from Dr. Asaph Fletcher, one 
of these three Baptists, will continue our narrative : 

" Dear Sir : I think it not amiss to let you know, in 
some measure, the proceedings of the committee on your 
memorial, and the conduct of the House in consequence. 
The committee met four times upon the memorial before 
they reported, as we could not agree upon a bill of redress. 
In consequence of desire, I formed a bill to suit our pur- 
pose, but the majority of the committee did not, as above, 
agree with it. But, at length, the committee reported as 
follows, viz. ; ' The committee on the memorial of Rev. 
Mr. Backus report to the House that the Baptists have 
leave to bring in a bill for the redress of grievances com- 
plained of in the said memorial.' The memorial was read 
last Friday and the report ; but other important business 
prevented action upon it at that time. Yesterday it was 
acted upon. The same disposition appeared in some, as 
when you were present. The memorial was censured as 
casting reflections upon the House ; and as calling in ques- 
tion their right to interpose in religious matters, etc. 
Major Hawley commended the memorial greatly, and 
told the Court that the established religion of this Col- 
ony was not worth a groat, and wished it miglit fall to 
the ground, or to that effect. Some said one thing and 



228 A BILL FOR REDRESS ORDERED. 

some another. At length, on a motion made, they voted 
the following, viz. : ' Ordered, that Dr. Fletcher have lib- 
erty to bring in a bill for the redress of such grievances as 
he apprehends the Baptists labor under.' This bill is to 
be brought in at the next session. After the vote passed, 
Mr. Gerry moved that the Baptists Avithdraw their memo- 
rial. Major Hawley ojDposed it; and said he would have 
it lay on the files, for it was worthy to lay there, and he 
hojDcd it would lay there till it had eaten out the present 
establishment, etc. And so it lays on the files. * * * Now, 
sir, I must leave all these things with the Great Disposer 
of events, not doubting but he will remove, ere long, all 
obstacles to gospel liberty. 

" Wishing the divine assistance to be with you, and un- 
erring wisdom to direct you in all things, I subscribe myself 
Tours in the truth, 

Asaph Fletcher. 

Watertowx, 31st Oct., 1775." 

Accordingly Dr. Fletcher brought in a bill which was 
read once ; but the House never acted upon it. 

The association which met this year, 1775, at Warren, 
' agreed that our agent and committee be desired to draw 
up a letter to all the Baptist societies on this continent, 
stating the true nature and importance of religious liberty, 
and signifying that we think that a general meeting of 
delegates from our societies in every colony is expedient, 
as soon as may be, to consult ujDon the best means and 
methods of obtaining deliverance from various encroach- 
ments which have been made upon that liberty, and to 
promote the general welfare of our churches, and of all 
God's people throughout the land ; and to desire that our 
friends in each Colony would communicate their senti- 



ADDRESS TO BAPTISTS IK AMERICA. 229 

ments concerning the design, and time and place of meet- 
ing, with all convenient speed.' In accordance with this 
direction the agent prepared an address, portions of which 
are subjoined: 

"To all Christian people in the American Colonies, and 
especially to those who are of the Baptist denomina- 
tion : — 
" "While the united inhabitants of this vast continent 
are appealing to heaven against the open attempts that 
have been made against their liberties, it is surely of great 
importance that we all regard that law of heaven : Ifake 
straight paths for your feet. And can we do so, if we are 
not as earnest for the removal of oppression from among 
ourselves, as we are to repel its encroachments from 
abroad ? An ingenious author well observes, — ' That the 
power of decreeing rites and ceremonies is a power abso- 
lutely indefinite, and of the very same kind with those 
claims which in things of a civil nature always give the 
greatest alarm. A tax of a penny is a trifle; but the 
power of imposing that tax, is never considered as a trifle, 
because it may imply absolute servitude in all who submit 
to it. Our ancestors, the old Puritans, had the same 
merit in opposing the imposition of the Surplice that 
Hampden had in opposing the levying of ship-money. 
In neither case was it the thing itself they objected to, 
so much as the authority that enjoined it, and the danger 
of the precedent. And it appears to us that the man Avho 
is as tenacious of his religious as he is of his civil liberty, 
will oppose them both with equal firmness." ^ And is not 
the power of levying money for religious ministers as dan- 
gerous to liberty, as the power of decreeing rites and 

1 Appendix to Blackstone's Commentaries. 

20 ♦ 



230 A GENERAL MEETING PROPOSED. 

ceremonies ? Yea, more so ; for they who can command 
the purse, either in Church or State, can usually carry the 
day in other affairs. * * * As the Baptist churches 
in the Massachusetts Colony have been brought to view 
things in this light, many of their elders and brethren at 
a meeting in Warren, September 13, 1776, desired us, the 
subscribers, to write to all the societies of our denomina- 
tion in the American Colonies upon the subject of religious 
liberty, and to signify to them that a general meeting of 
delegates from our societies in each colony, we think, is 
very expedient, as soon as may be, to consult upon the 
best means and methods for obtaining and establishing 
full and equal religious liberty throughout this continent, 
and to promote the general welfare of all ; so that truth 
and peace may prevail, and glory dwell in our land. And 
to request our friends in each colony to communicate their 
sentiments of the design and of the time and place of 
meeting, with all convenient speed. * * * Our Lord 
and Saviour has let us know as plainly as words can ex- 
press, that his kingdom is not of this world ; but that it is 
founded in and supported by the truth. And he says: 
'Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.' 
Neither can anything be true religion that is not a volun- 
tary obedience to him. The evident design of civil gov- 
ernment is, to ai-m particular men with the sword, enforced 
by the power of the whole politic body, to restrain and 
punish such as violate the rules of justice and equity, to 
guard the civil peace ; and so to be ministers of God for 
good to all the community. But for them to empower the 
majority of any town or place, to judge for their neighbors, 
who shall be teachers and guides to their souls, and to 
force those who do not choose them to support them, is 
going as much out of their jurisdiction as ever the Parlia- 



RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 231 

ment of Britain did in taxing America. And how can we 
answer it, either to posterity or to our great and impartial 
Judge, if we do not exert ourselves as honestly and earn- 
estly for the defence and establishment of religious liberty 
as we do for that which is only of a civil and worldly 
nature ? We say, as honestly and earnestly ; but not with 
the same weapons. For Jesus says: 'If my kingdom 
were of this world, my servants would fight that I should 
not be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom 
not from hence. To this end was I born, and for this 
cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness 
unto the truth.' ^ 

" That we may all in our stations bear our proper wit- 
ness unto the truth, and against the corruptions and 
oppressions of the present day, is the hearty desire and 
prayer of your servants for Jesus' sake. 

Isaac Backus, 
Nathan Plimptout, 
Asaph Fletcher. 
Per Order." 
1 John 18: 36,37. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE BILL OF RIGHTS. 

ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW ENGLAND. — DRAFT OF A STATE CONSTI- 
TUTION. — PROTEST AGAINST THE SAME. — PAYSON'S SERMON. — BACKUS' 
PAPER ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ; CHAUNC Y AGAINST ESTABLISHMENTS } 
PRINCIPLES NOT PENCE; CHAUNCY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT; INCONSIST- 
ENCY. — STILLMAN'S SERMON. — CONVENTION ; PLEAS FOR THE THIRD AR- 
TICLE OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS. — BACKUS' REPLY TO THEM. — COERCION 
IN BRIDGEWATER. — PROTEST AGAINST THE THIRD ARTICLE OF THE BILL 
OF RIGHTS. — CONSTITUTION ADOPTED. — CIRCULAR TO THE CHURCHES. 

The pen of Mr. Backus was not suffered to rest for any 
considerable length of time. In 1777 tie read an "Ad- 
dress to the People of New England" on the subject of 
religious freedom, before the Warren Association, which 
was holding its annual meeting with the first Baptist 
church in Middleboro'. The address was adopted by 
the association and printed in the minutes as its circular 
letter. It urges nearly the same arguments in support 
of his view which are presented in other writings from 
his pen, and may therefore be passed over with this brief 
notice. 

During this year the first volume of Mr. Backus' History 
of New England, with particular reference to the Baptists, 
was issued, and the facts which it narrated were of them- 
selves an eloquent plea in favor of religious liberty. We 
shall speak in a subsequent chapter more fully of his labors 
as a historian. 



DRAFT OF A STATE CONSTITUTION. 233 

The people of Massachusetts were now beginning to 
desire the establishment of a constitution as the basis of 
legislation. Accordingly a constitution was framed by 
the General Court for 1777, to be submitted to the next 
General Court for adoption or rejection. This constitu- 
tion embraced no declaration of rights; but it had an 
article restoring some of the old ecclesiastical laws. The 
Baptists were alarmed, and their Committee of Grievances 
met in Boston, February 28, 1778. They drew up a pro- 
test against the insertion of those old laws in the constitu- 
tion, and took measures to circulate a hundred copies of 
this protest among the Baptists of Massachusetts for their 
signatures. In the same paper which contained the pro- 
test, there was placed a petition that it might be a " fun- 
damental principle of our government, that ministers shall 
be supported only by Christ's authority; and not at all 
by assessment and secular force, — which impartial lib- 
erty has long been claimed and enjoyed by the city of 
Boston." 

Many persons, of different denominations, signed this 
protest and petition; but as the proposed constitution 
was rejected, they were never presented to the General 
Court. Tet the reception which they met evidently 
alarmed the friends of an establishment, and Mr. Payson 
of Chelsea, in his Election Sermon at Boston, May 27, 
1778, warned the rulers against making any change in 
the authorized modes and usages of religion. "Let the 
restraints," he said, " of religion once be broken down, as 
they infallibly would be by leaving the subject of public 
worship to the humors of the multitude, and we might 
well defy all human wisdom and power to support and 
preserve order and government in tlie State." 

When the Warren Association met in Leicester, Octo- 

20* 



234 CHAUNCY AGAINST ESTABLISHMENTS. 

ber 8, 1778, Mr. Backus read before that body another 
paper on the subject of religious liberty, and "was unani- 
mously requested to publish the same, with all convenient 
speed." Besides a brief discussion of the general question, 
this pamphlet contained strictures upon several state- 
ments in Mr. Payson's sermon and some accounts of 
recent oppression. We select the following paragraphs. 
" Eleven years ago the Episcopal clergy appeared very 
earnest for having bishops established in America ; which 
caused Dr. Chauncy of Boston to write an answer the 
next year, to what Dr. Chandler had published upon that 
subject. And as Chandler had declared, that all they 
wanted was only to have their church completely organ- 
ized, without the least design of injuring others, the best 
reason that Chauncy could give why his request ought 
not to be granted was this : Says he, 'We are, in princi- 
ple, against all civil establishments in religion. It does 
not appear to us that God has entrusted the State with 
a right to make religious establishments. If the state 
in England has this delegated authority, must it not be 
owned that the state in China, in Turkey, in Spain, has 
this authority likewise ? What should make the differ- 
ence in the eye of true reason ? Hath the state of Eng- 
land been distinguished by heaven by any peculiar grant, 
beyond the state in other countries ? If it has, let the 
grant be produced. If it has not, all states have, in com- 
mon, tlie same authority in establishments conformable 
to their own sentiments in religion : what can the con- 
sequence be, but infinite damage to the cause of God 
and true religion ! And such in fact has been the con- 
sequence of these establishments in all ages, and in all 
places. Should it be said, we claim liberty of consci- 
ence and fully enjoy it ; and why should we confine 



ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM. 235 

this privlege to ourselves ? Is it not as reasonable Epis- 
copalians should both claim and enjoy it ? It is readily 
allowed ; and we are as willing they should possess and ex- 
ercise religious liberty in its full extent as we desire to do 
it ourselves. But then let it be heedfully minded we 
claim no right to desire the interposition of the State to 
establish that mode of worship, government, or discipline, 
we apprehend is most agreeable to the mind of Christ. We 
desire no other liberty than to be left unrestrained in the 
exercise of our principles in so far as we are good mem- 
bers of society; and we are perfectly willing Episcopa- 
lians should enjoy this liberty to the full. If they think 
bishops, in their appropriate sense, were constituted by 
Christ or his apostles, we object not a word against their 
having as many of them as they please, if they will be 
content to have them with authority altogether derived 
from Christ. But they both claim and desire a great deal 
more. They want to be distinguished by having bishops 
upon the footing of a state establishment. The plain truth 
is, by the Gospel-charter, all professed Christians are vested 
with precisely the same rights ; nor has one denomination 
any more a right to the interposition of the civil magis- 
trate in their favor than another ; and whenever this dif- 
ference takes place, it is beside the rule of Scripture^ 
and I may say also, the genuine dictates of uncorrupted 
reason.^ 

"* * * They [the members of the Standing Order] often 
declare that they allow us liberty of conscience, and also 
complain of injury if we recite fonner and latter acts 
of their party to prove the contrary. Just so has Dr. 
Chandler done with regard to bishops ; and he declares 
they had now no design of taxing America to them ; yet 
he says, * Should a general tax be laid upon the country, 



236 PRINCIPLES NOT PENCE. 

and thereby a sum be raised sufficient for the puii:)Ose, I 
believe such a tax would not amount to more than four 
pence in a hundred pounds ; and this would be no mighty 
hardship upon the country. He that could think much of 
giving the six-thousandth part of his income to any use 
which the Legislature of his country should assign, de- 
serves not to be considered in the light of a good subject 
or member of society.' 

But in answer hereto, Dr. Chauncy says : ' If the country 
might be taxed four pence in one hundred pounds, it might 
for the same reason and with as much justice, if it was 
thought the suj^port of bishops called for it, be taxed four 
shillings, or four pounds, and so on.' All but Tories will 
allow this to be good reasoning ; and why is it not as good 
in a Baptist as in a Presbyterian ? He goes back one 
hundred and fifty years, and tells of the Episcopal yoke 
or bondage, which our forefathers came into this wilder- 
ness to avoid, and says : ' Shall it be declared in the face 
of the world, that this would be no hardship to their pos- 
terity, and that they would be neither good subjects nor 
good members of society, if they thought much of sup- 
porting that POWER which has been, and may again be 

TERRIBLY OPPRESSIVE ! ' 

'True, doctor; there lies the difficulty. It is not the 
PENCE but the POWER, that alarms us. And since the 
Legislature of the State passed an act, no longer ago than 
last September, to continue a tax of four pence a year 
upon the Baptists in every parish where they live, as an 
acknowledgment of the powder that they have long as- 
sumed over us in religious affiiirs, which we know has often 
been terribly oppressive, how can we be blamed for 
refusing to pay that acknowledgment ; especially when it 
is considered, that it is evident to us that God never al- 



CHAUNCY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT. 237 

lowed any civil state upon earth to impose religious taxes ; 
but that he declared his vengeance against those in Israel 
who presumed to use force in such affairs." -^ 

Now, just before the j)ublication of this pamjDhlet, the 
American army had been compelled, through fear of being 
surrounded by the British fleet, to relinquish its position 
on Rhode Island. It effected a retreat to the main land 
on the night of August 30, 1778. " Chauncy," says Mr. 
Backus, "imagined that this defeat might be turned to 
ministerial advantage ; and therefore, at his next lecture, 
when many of our rulers were present, he delivered a dis- 
course from the seventh of Joshua, wherein he represented 
that one of the accursed things which caused that defeat, 
was their neglect of making a new law to help ministers 
about their salaries, Avhich the depreciation of our currency 
had greatly lessened. This sermon was soon printed and 
dispersed in the country. And in the ' Continental Jour- 
nal,' of October 8th, it was highly commended and its 
author also ; and then it was said : ' Although the General 
Assembly has now been sitting for some time, no motion 
(as I can learn) has as yet been made, or is likely to be 
made, for this purpose. Are the clergy then to submit to 
this treatment ? Are they, as an order, and the only order 
of men in the community, to remain subjected to injustice 
and fraud ? ' ISTow it was so ordered that the above pas- 
sages in the Baptist pamphlet were inserted in the 'Inde- 
IDcndent Chronicle ' the same day^ Oct. 8th, and in the 
same street in Boston. By which means the same author 
was declaring to the Avorld in one paper that all religious 
establishments were of infinite damage to the cause of 
God and true religion ; and in another that the want of 

1 1 Sam. 2 : 16, 34. Mic. 3 : 5, 12. 



238 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. 

further exertion in that waj was an accursed thing which 
caused the defeat of our army ! And what could be done 
in such a case ? In the ' Boston Gazette,' of November 
2d, it was declared that said Baptist pamphlet ' exhibited 
only a compound of ignorance^ impudence and abused " 

In spite of opposition from a certain quarter. Dr. Still- 
man, pastor of the first Baptist church in Boston, was 
chosen to preach the next election sermon. He availed 
himself of the opportunity to set forth clearly the differ- 
ence between church and state, and to show the impor- 
tance of keeping them entirely distinct. This sermon 
was, as usual, printed and distributed through the state by 
order of authority. 

Delegates from the several towns, elected for the pur- 
pose of framing a constitution, assembled at Cambridge 
on the first of September, 1779. They chose a large com- 
mittee to prepare a draft for their consideration, and then 
adjourned. They reassembled October .28th, and heard the 
report of then* committee. In the bill of rights laid before 
them the third article gave to civil rulers power in relig- 
ious affairs, and led to much debate. At length it was 
referred to a special committee of seven. Five of these 
were distinguished politicians. A new draft was prepared, 
which, however, retained the obnoxious principle, and 
after warm debates was passed by a majority. To obtain 
this vote it was asserted that there had never been any 
persecution in the land, and also that the Baptists had 
sent their agent to Philadelphia in 1774, with a false 
memorial of grievances, in order to break the union of 
these colonies. 

Hearing of these statements, Mr. Backus repaired to 
Boston and published, in the " Indei^endent Chronicle," of 
December 2, 1779, a reply to the same. In this article 



AN ACCUSATION REPELLED. 239 

he first states his objections to that portion of the bill of 
rights which gave to civil rulers, as such, power to act in 
religious affairs ; he then recites the principal facts con- 
nected with his visit to Philadelphia ; and lastly he refers 
to the recent debates, and closes with the following lan- 
guage : " Yet, after all this, I am informed by several 
members of the convention * * * that to obtain the above 
described power over us, Mr. John Adams and Mr. Paine 
brought up the above named accusation against us, and 
that Mr. Paine said tie had reason to think that some 
things, mentioned in our memorial, never existed. This is 
therefore to give notice that I am ready to meet them 
before any proper judges, when called, to answer for every 
word therein, and to suffer deserved punishment if I am 
convicted of advancing any one accusation against my 
country, or against any person therein, that I cannot sup- 
port. Yea, or if I have ever discovered the least degree 
of an inimical disposition towards my country in any part 
of this contest with great Britain. I am willing to make 
all the allowance in this case to forgetfulness and other 
human infirmities, that reason or religion calls for ; but if 
those gentlemen should persist in their accusations against 
us without fairly supporting them, or in acting contrary 
to their promise at Philadelphia, the public will judge how 
far they will deserve regard for the future. * * * 

Isaac Backus, 
Agent for the Baptist Churches in this State. 

MiDDLEBORO*, Nov. 16, 1779." 

It may here be remarked that supporters of the estab- 
lished faith were not slow to avail themselves of these 
charges and insinuations against Mr. Backus as a sufiicient 
pretext for taxing them afresh. We insert, by way of 



240 THE BILL OF RIGHTS. 

specimen, a single instance of the kind. Two members 
of the convention, who resided in the south parish of 
Bridgewater, were led by these false accusations to move 
the collector of their ministers salary to go with a consta- 
ble and seize Lieut. Elijah Ames and his brother, Joseph 
Ames, Jr., members of the first Baptist church in Middle- 
boro', for said ministers tax, which they declined paying. 
These officers commanded two regular hearers of Mr. 
Backus to assist them in carrying the recusant brothers to 
Plymouth jail ; but they were promptly disobeyed. " Then," 
says Mr. Backus, '^ they went and took to themselves some 
lewd fellows of the baser sort, and came again with ropes 
to bind our brethren. And they did bind one of them, 
and carried them both a mile or two to a tavern, when one 
of that party paid the money and released the prisoners. 
* * * Before our said brethren were seized, they 
mildly labored to convince those officers that they had no 
right to do it. But the constable said : 'Our churches are 
built ujDon the law.' Lieut. Ames replied: 'I knew that 
before ; but I thought you would be ashamed t9 own it.' 
It may be added that the assessors of the parish taxed 
these Baptists again for the support of their minister, and 
that they were fined for refusing to pay the* tax.^ 

The convention met after a second adjournment, on the 
fifth of January, 1780, and continued in session until the 
second of March, when their work was finished. On the 
sixth of April, the BajDtist committee was called together 
in Boston, and it was concluded to jDublish an Appeal to 
the People of the state against the third article noticed 
above. This Appeal was signed by Mr. Backus as Agent, 
and five hundi-ed copies of it were sent out. It called 
forth several articles in the Boston papers, to which the 
1 See " Independent Chronicle," December, 1779. 



PROTEST AGAINST THE SAME. 241 

Agent with his usual energy and promptitude replied. 
And when the association met at Royalston, in September, 
"it was unanimously agreed to circulate for subscribers, 
and then send the following protest -to the General Court, 
by whose power the Constitution was to be ratified or re- 
jected. 

" To the General Court of the Massachusetts, assembled at 
Boston, October, 1780. 

" We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, inhabitants 
of this state, who are twenty-one years of age and above, 
of various religious denominations, enter our protest 
against the power claimed in the Third Article of the 
declaration of rights in the new plan of government intro- 
duced among us ; — for the reasons following, viz. : 

"1. Because it asserts a right in the people to give 
away a power they never had themselves ; for no man has 
a right to judge for others in religious matters; yet this 
Article would give the majority of each town and parish 
the exclusive right of covenanting for the rest with re- 
ligious teachers, and so of excluding the minority from 
the liberty of choosing for themselves in that respect. 

" 2. Because this power is given entirely into the hands 
of men who vote only by virtue of money qualifications, 
without any regard to the church of Christ. 

" 3. Because said Article contradicts itself; for it prom- 
ises equal protection of all sects, with an exemption from 
any subordination of one religious denomination to 
another; when it is impossible for the majority of any 
community to govern in any afiair, unless the minority are 
in subordination to them in that aflTair. 

"4. Because by this Article the civil power is called 
to judge whether persons can conveniently and conscien- 

21 



242 PilOTEST DISREGARDED. 

tiously attend upon any teacher within their reach, and 
oblige each one to support such teachers as may be con- 
trary to his conscience ; which is subversive of the unalien- 
able lights of conscience. 

"5. Because, as the convention say, ' power without any 
restraint is tyranny ; ' which they explain as meaning the 
union of the legislative, executive and judicial powers of 
government in the same hands; and it is evident that 
these powers are all united in the Legislature, who by this 
Article are empowered to compel both civil and religious 
societies to make what they shall judge to be suitable pro- 
vision for religious teachers ' in all cases where such pro- 
vision shall not be made voluntarily.' " 

The General Court met October 25, 1780, and notwith- 
standing the above protest, adopted the new constitution. 
In view of this action, the Warren Association, at its next 
meeting in September, 1781, directed their agent and com- 
mittee to address the Baj^tists of this Commonwealth 
through the public papers. Upon meeting, however, the 
committee concluded to send out the following circular. 

" Dearly Beloved : — Inasmuch as the Association at 
their last meeting desired their agent and committee to 
present our address to the public, upon the commencement 
of our new jDlan of government, concerning religious 
liberty ; we have taken the matter into serious and delib- 
erate consideration ; and are of opinion that a publication 
of that nature, in a newspaper, at this time would be inex- 
pedient. We therefore have rather concluded to address 
you on that matter in a circular. 

" It is evident that our strength consists in union and 
perseverance in opposition to the unjust claims of our ene- 



FALSE LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE. 243 

mies. The last shift which they have made, is to plead 
that those claims are a matter of conscience with them ; 
and so have set their liberty of conscience against ours. 
But this j)lea is easily confuted. For no man is allowed 
to have a seat in any Legislature, till he solemnly declares : 
— 'I believe the christian religion, and have a firm per- 
suasion of its truth ! And as* surely as it (i. e. the chris- 
tian religion), is true, we have but one Law-giver in all 
religious affairs, who forbids our calling any man Master 
upon earth, and commands us to stand fast in the liberty 
wherewith he hath made us free.^ As the name Christian 
is derived from Christ, it is essential to a christian society 
that it be constituted and governed by his laws ; and they 
are as express concerning the choice and support of his 
ministers, as on any other point of christian practice. 
And nothing is more contrary thereto, than the empower- 
ing of some to give away others' money to soul-guides 
whom they never chose, and to imprison their persons if 
they refuse to pay it. And where is the man upon earth 
who will come up plainly and plead conscience for so 
doing.' Oh, brethren, face them down boldly upon this 
point and they cannot stand. And the best way to attain 
and enjoy true boldness herein, is a near approach to God 
through Jesus Christ ; and a faithful discharge of all the 
duties of our several stations and relations according to 
his directions. Look to the great Captain of our salva- 
tion, who Avill not fail nor be discouraged till he has set 
judgment in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law. 
" A free communication to our brethren who have suf- 
fered in the cause, and the promotion of oneness and 
union therein, is of great importance, and we trust will 
finally j)revail to our deliverance and happiness. And for 

1 James 4: 12. Matt. 23: 3-12. Gal. 5: 1. 



244 AID TO THE OPPRESSED. 

the encouragement of any who may be called to suffer in 
any towns or parishes for refusing to give certificates, or 
to pay their money for the support of a ministry from 
which they conscientiously dissent,' — We, the Agent and 
Committee of the Baptist churches, will endeavor that the 
expenses which may fall upon any individuals for such 
refusal, shall be made equal, by collecting money for said 
purpose among the churches. 

Isaac Backus, Agent, 
By the advice and direction of the Committee. 
Boston, Oct. 5, 1781." 



CHAPTEE XVIII- 

LIBERTY SECURED AT LAST. 

DECISION AT TAUNTON, THE OLD LAWS NO LONGER IN FORCE. — LETTER TO 
A BROTHER IN LONDON. — CASE OP WEST CAMBRIDGE. — PROPRIETY OF 
RECOGNIZING CIVIL AUTHORITY IN RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS. — A NEW LAW, 
RETROGRADE. — LETTER TO GEORGE WASHINGTON. — LETTER TO MR. RIP- 
PON; DEATH OF PRESIDENT MANNING; PARTIAL HISTORY; RELIGIOUS 
PROSPERITY. — LETTER TO MRS. DRAPER; PROGRESS OF BAPTIST PRINCI- 
PLES; HUMAN WICKEDNESS; HOPE IN GOD. — LETTER TO WILLIAM RICH- 
ARDS. — INSTANCES OP OPPRESSION. — CHANGE OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT.— 
FREEDOM SECURED AT LAST. 

But while the new constitution gave to the Legislature 
power to make " suitable provision " for christian teachers 
in case this was not done by the several towns, it also 
declared that " no subordination of one sect or denomina- 
tion to another shall ever be established by law." It was 
therefore deemed important to ascertain whether the old 
laws in respect to certificates, etc., were now constitutional. 
An opportunity to do this presently occurred; for the 
east parish of Attleboro' taxed several persons in 1781 for 
the support of worship in said parish, although they at- 
tended elsewhere. One of them, Mr. Elijah Balkom, being 
seized for his tax, sued the assessors for damages before 
a justice of the peace in Norton. Judgment was given 
against him, but he appealed to the county court at 
Taunton. 

On the fifteenth of March, 1782, Robert Treat Paine, 
Attorney General for the Commonwealth, moved to have 

21* 



246 DECISION IN THE ATTLEBORO' CASE. 

this case taken out of court and referred to particular men. 
Mr. Backus and his friends consulted with John Daggett, 
Esq., and others, who owned that referees were not tied 
up to points of law as a jury were, and "therefore," says 
Mr. Backus, " we could not consent to a reference, because 
our aim was to know how the judges understood the pre- 
sent laws in these matters." Accordingly, the case was 
tried before the honorable Walter Spooner, Thomas Dur- 
fee, Benjamin Williams, and William Baylies, Esquires. 
After the cause had been plead in a "learned and elegant" 
manner by William Bradford and James M. Varnum for 
the appellant, and Robert T. Paine for the parish, the 
judges unanimously agreed to give the appellant damages 
and costs." "This judgment not only settled the contro- 
versy in Attleboro', but was extensively beneficial else- 
where." 

The following letter of Mr. Backus to a brother minis- 
ter in London, will be read with special interest by those 
who have accompanied us thus far in our narrative. 

"May 28, 1783. 
"Dear Sir: * * * * You are doubtless sensible that 
different circumstances alter cases ; so that some may be 
called of God to do things which their brethren in other 
places are not there called to do. When I had an inter- 
view with our brethren, Shakspear and Mackennesse, at 
Providence, they were very desirous that I and others 
here, should act as neuters in the contest between your 
country and ours. I know not but that in their circum- 
stances, such a conduct might be excusable, if not justifi- 
able ; but in me it would have been criminal. The claims 
of the British court over the persons and pro2:)ei'ty of this 
country were such, that for sixteen years past, in my near- 



LETTER TO A LONDON BROTHER. 247 

est approaches to God, I could not hesitate about them for 
one hour ; though at the same time, I had no better opin- 
ion of many leaders here in the opposition to those claims, 
than of those who made them there. 

"I should have fainted long ago, had I not believed 
that wherein men dealt proudly God was above them. 
And he fixed a persuasion on my soul that if we faithfully 
improved the advantage he gave us, rulers would be 
forced to give up their tyrannical power over the church 
of God and the consciences of men. A large part of my 
good friends here, rather wished than believed w^e should 
obtain so great a blessing ; and, therefore, have often been 
clogs instead of helps, in this great work. And my mis- 
takes and imperfections in acting therein have been so 
many and great, that instead of wondering at others' fears 
at my attempts for liberty, I may well wonder that I was 
not confounded long ago. To think that one who knew 
so little should write so much, and that he should now 
propose to expose more of his writings even in foreign 
countries, is a consideration almost sufficient to put a stop 
to any further proceedings in that way. I speak before 
Ilim who Avill jadge all; if a persuasion of duty has not 
been my greatest motive, I know not what has. Oh, that 
mine was more single therein ! 

"But shall we faint at the threshold of deliverance? 
On the tenth instant, one of the most politic adversaries 
which we have ever had in our Legislature, sued for our 
favor. One who, when our House of Representatives had 
chosen Mr. Stillman to preach the next election sermon, in 
1779, was so oj^posed thereto that he would give them no 
rest till they had reconsidered that vote, (though in the 
second trial our friend had many more votes than before,) 
one who was an attorney for Ilingham rioters, and treated 



248 DECISIONS IN THE CAMBRIDGE CASE. 

brother Lee very abusively last January ; yet now on said 
day, he paid a complaisant visit to brother Stillman, with 
a request that the Baptists would present a memorial to 
the Legislature which is to meet at Boston, the twenty- 
eighth, (whereof he is a member,) for equal religious lib- 
erty to be established, and was forward to promise his 
influence in favor of it. The reasons whereof we take to 
be these : First, To save their own honor in appearing to 
grant what they cannot keep from us. Second, To keep 
the laboring oar still in our hands. But as God has given 
us liberty contrary to their designs, we choose things 
should appear as they are, and to stand fast therein accord- 
ing to his command. * * * * " 

From a passage in this letter it appears that the bold 
and unyielding course advocated by Mr. Backus, was not 
apj)roved by all his brethren. Some of them at length 
became disheartened, and were ready for the sake of peace 
to make the best of existing laws without subjecting them- 
selves to yet further and seemingly 23rofitless toil or ex- 
pense. The following narrative will illustrate our state- 
ment. 

In 1781 a Baptist church was organized in th^e town of 
Cambridge, (now West Cambridge,) but no pastor was 
settled over it until 1783. And when this was done they 
were all taxed for the support of the Congregational min- 
istry. Distraint was made upon the property of Gershom 
Cutler and two others for the payment of this tax. Be- 
lieving the tax unconstitutional, they sued the assessors 
for damages, and after much delay the case was decided in 
their favor by the county court at Concord, September 
1784; "but at the Superior Court at Cambridge, October 
26, Judge Sargeant declared that their old laws were still 



SUING THE COLLECTORS. 249 

in force, and that they kneiv no societies in this Com-, 
monwealth but corporate bodies. With him Judge Sew- 
all concurred ; the other judges said little on the point ; 
and the next day the jury turned the case against the 
Baptists." The latter were now informed by a distin- 
guished lawyer, "that if they would give in certificates 
to the ruling sect that they belonged to said Baptist 
society, and desired their money to go to the minister 
thereof, he (the minister) might sue the money out of 
the hands of those who took it." 

On the thirty-first of October, 1785, Mr. Backus went 
to Boston for the purpose of consulting with the Com- 
mittee of Grievances in respect to this afiair. " Our com- 
mittee," he says, " when now met, concluded that, if they 
(the Congregationalists) would go on and take away the 
money of our people, our ministers should demand it 
again, according to the recent inter|)retation of the third 
article in our bill of rights — all but myself; fori could 
not concur therewith. Accordingly the Baptists in Cam- 
bridge complied with legal advice, and their minister sued 
the money out of the hands of their oppressors, from time 
to time, until they left off* collecting such money ; and the 
like was done in various parts of the country." 

Now it will be remembered that Mr. Backus regarded 
the giving of these certificates as a voluntary submission 
to the civil power, when this power was breaking over 
its proper limits and usurping the authority of Christ. 
For many years in public and in private he had solemnly 
protested against this submission, and had urged his 
brethren to suffer their property to be all confiscated 
rather than to recognize the validity of human laws in 
the domain of religion. Whether his Adews were correct 
or erroneous, they were the result of protracted exam- 



260 NEW LAW ABOUT TAXES. 

ination, were endorsed by his conscience, and were main- 
tained with christian fidelity to the last. His was not 
the spirit to falter and turn back at the prospect of dan- 
ger. There was moral heroism in his soul, and he was 
ready for the severest conflict. To find his brethren 
prepared to relinquish in discouragement their high posi- 
tion and plant themselves on lower ground, was there- 
fore a sore trial to his patience and charity; but so far 
as we can ascertain, he was enabled to bear this trial, 
if not without complaint, yet without bitterness of feel- 
ing. Had his brethren throughout the State refused at 
this time to give in certificates and cheerfully taken the 
consequences, it is at least probable that Mr. Backus 
would have been permitted to welcome in his own day 
that complete separation of church and state for which 
he longed. As it was, he died in faith, not having seen 
the blessing which he desired for the churches of Christ. 

In March, 1786, a new law was made "which con- 
founded ministerial and civil taxes together, and em- 
jDOwered every man in each town who pays two thirds 
more in one tax than a poll tax, to vote in such afiairs." 
The act says, " The freeholders and other inhabitants 
of each respective town, qualified as aforesaid at the 
annual meeting for the choice of town officers or at any 
other town meeting regularly warned, may grant and 
vote such sums of money as they shall judge necessary, 
for the settlement, maintenance and support of the min- 
istry, schools, the poor, and other necessary charges aris- 
ing within the same town ; to be assessed upon the polls 
and property within the same as by law provided." This 
certainly was a retrograde movement, adapted to fill the 
minds of all who differed conscientiously from the Stand- 
ing Order with alarm. The following letters will reveal in 



BACKUS TO GEORGE WASHINGTON. 251 

some measure the feelings of Mr. Backus during the 
next few years. 

" To George Washington, Esq., President of the United 
States. 

Sir : Among the many addresses to your Excellency 
since your advancement to the highest seat of govern- 
ment in America, I suppose you have received none 
from any community of Baptists in the State of Mas- 
sachusetts. Not because they have not as hearty a re- 
gard for your Excellency as any denomination therein, 
but for want of a convenient opportunity when you 
were in these parts. But an obscure individual begs 
your acceptance of a private token of love, which may 
be of more real service than many flattering public ad- 
dresses. Indeed, if elegance of style and composition 
were necessary to render any book acceptable to your 
Excellency, the author would not have presumed to 
send such a present as his History of New England. 
But believing that the knowledge of principles and 
facts, and of their influence on mankind through va- 
rious changes, is of great importance in your view, he 
hopes that this work will not be unacceptable. Much 
of it was taken from original records and papers which 
were never before published; and none of them have 
ever since been disputed in any newspaper among us. 
The Quakers were so much afiected with my first volume, 
published in 1777, that one of them wrote a considerable 
volume against it ; but when he came to lay it before their 
committee, they thought it better to apply to me for cor- 
rections ; and a committee of theirs met with me in Provi- 
dence, in December, 1780, and after two days' labor we 
agreed upon the corrections which are in the end of the 



252 LETTER TO MR. RIPPON. 

second volume, which agreement was signed by me, and 
by * * * their committee. If any others would have 
favored me with their corrections, as they might have 
done and concealed their names if they pleased, it might 
have been of public benefit. But no such favor hath been 
granted me. 

" The continuance of tax and compulsion for religious 
ministers in New England, while it is abolished in Vir- 
ginia, is a clear demonstration of the narrow selfishness 
of mankind. The continuance of it here for Congrega- 
tionalists, and the abolishing of it there for Episcopa- 
lians, are both commended by Dr. Gordon in his His- 
tory of the American Revolution, in which is much impar- 
tiality about ci^il and military affairs. But religious 
ministers, when supported by force, are the most dan- 
gerous men upon earth; while no men are more ne- 
cessary and useful to human society than faithful teach- 
ers. Of this further evidence is given in two late pieces 
which I here send you. 

"That your Excellency may still be guided and pre- 
served in your exalted and difficult station until right- 
eous government shall be well established in this land; 
that your latter days may be peaceful and happy, and 
your end be eternal life, is the earnest prayer of 

Your humble servant, 

Isaac Backus. 

November 15, 1790.'* 

"August 19, 1791. 
" Dear Sir : More than a year has elapsed since I re- 
ceived a line from you ; and the unfaithfulness which 
generally prevails renders it exceedingly difficult to keep 
up a distant correspondence, which perhaps has prevented 
the arrival of letters which you may have sent me. Be 



DEATH OF PRESIDENT MANNING. 253 

that as it may, yet I shall now attempt to inform you 
of our affairs ; especially as one of our most useful minis- 
ters has gone the way of all the earth. I was with Presi- 
dent Manning two days in June past, and when I parted 
with him the eighth of that month, I had as little thought 
of its being the last parting for time, as at any parting we 
ever had. But near night on July 29th, I received a line 
from Providence informing me of his decease at four 
o'clock that morning. I went there the first instant and 
met the College Corporation the next day, who have 
thought of Dr. Jones for his successor, if he can be ob- 
tained ; but we have no idea of obtaining any man who 
will equal President Manning in all respects, at least soon. 
His extensive knowledge, fervent piety, constant study to 
be perfectly serviceable to mankind ; his easy access to 
every class of people, with his gift of governing so as to 
be feared and loved by all, where keen envy did not pre- 
vail, — rendered him the most accomplished man for that 
station of any one I ever saw. Yet, in the midst of his use- 
fulness, he is gone, as universally lamented as any man that 
I have known. A loud call to us all, to be always ready. 

His beloved consort, whose tender mind could scarcely 
tell how to look over his papers, yet kindly put into my 
hands a number of letters, one of which was yours to Dr. 
Manning last spring ; and either in that or one before, your 
proposals for printing an annual Baptist Register, which I 
had heard of before, but had not seen the plan till then. 
The proposal I like well, and hope the work will be ex- 
tremely useful. As my health has failed more this year 
than ever before, I cannot expect to be here long, either to 
be helpful in that work or to partake of its benefits. But 
I have seen and felt so much of the evil efiects of isrno- 



22 



254 PARTIAL HISTORY. 

ranee and prejudice caused hy partial history and invented 
stories about the Baptists that I am still desirous of doing 
all I can towards removing those evils out of the way of 
posterity. For that end I was willing to comply with the 
earnest request of our brethren in Virginia to assist them 
in publishing a history of the Baptists in that State ; in 
which hath been the greatest revolution about baptism and 
religious liberty that ever I heard of in any government 
upon earth. And the May before last I had the promise, 
by letter, of having many historical materials sent me 
soon, but have never had a line from them on that subject 
since. True and impartial history, especially of our own 
times, is one of the most difficult services in the world. 

Dr. Gordon has j^ublished a valuable history of the 
American Revolution ; and yet a man might read through 
his two thousand pages, and not learn from the whole 
work that there was one Baj^tist in all New England or 
in Virginia ; although no denomination in our country was 
more unanimous and hearty in the cause of liberty tlian 
they ; and in Virginia they were the main instruments of 
its salvation. Gordon is the minister referred to in page 331 
of my second volume, who accused me of giving u]) the 
cause for which I was agent. But the prejudices of natural 
affection, education and honor, gain and self-righteousness, 
have all conspired together against believers' baptism and 
against having the church of Christ governed wholly by 
his laws. And as tax and compulsion, for the support of 
religious ministers, are still continued in New Hampshire, 
Massachusetts and Connecticut, it not only causeth mucli 
envy and oppression in Congregationalists and Presby- 
terians, but it hath such influence upon the Baptists, that 
I know not of one of our churches especially in Massa- 



SPREAD OF BAPTIST VIEWS. 255 

clitisetts, which is entirely free of the evil of giving in a 
list of their society to their oppressors ; which draws cov- 
etous men among us, w^hose influence with others hath cru- 
elly withheld reasonable support from many of our minis- 
ters, a number of whom have been dismissed from their 
people, and equity is amazingly shut out from among us. 

" Yet, in the midst of the flames, the bush is so far from 
being consumed, that believers' baptism gains ground very 
fast, and our cause was never so openly honored by men 
of the greatest note in the land as in a year past. And 
although the work of conviction and conversion is abated 
in Providence, yet it has been the most powerful in Boston 
during the year past that it has ever been since 1742. 
And a brother was with me yesterday from above Casco 
Bay, who informs me of a powerful revival of religion 
now going on in various towns in the county of Cum- 
berland ; and I have, in other ways, heard of the like far 
down our eastern coasts, as also westward into the State 
of New York, where one of our ministers has travelled by 
special request this summer, even an hundred miles be- 
yond Albany. 

In a word, the folly of all the inventions of men, and 
the infinite excellency of Divine revelation, appear more 
and more to open every day. My thoughts, which I have 
published on these subjects lately, I shall endeavor to send 
you. In the mean time, dearly beloved, I remain yours in 
the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, 

Isaac Backus. 

Mr. Rippon.'* 

We interrupt the series of letters written by Mr. Backus, 
to insert a letter from the Committee of Grievances. It 
is, we presume, a fair specimen of the appeals made by 



256 OPPRESSION IN BARNSTABLE. 

this committee to parishes which persisted in taxing the 
Baptists : 

" Gentlemen : The Baptist church in Barnstable be- 
longs to the association of regular churches, and as such 
claims the advice and protection of the whole body, so far 
as their case requires it, and they have power to afford it. 

" By the Warren Association, at their meeting in Sep- 
tember last, we were appointed a Standing Committee, to 
which all churches of our denomination in this common- 
wealth are to apply for advice and assistance, when op- 
pressed on a religious account. Having therefore received 
a well attested account from Barnstable, that some of the 
members of our society have been repeatedly taxed, and 
their property taken from them to support the Congrega- 
tional minister of that place, from whom they consci- 
entiously dissent, and though they have a minister of their 
own to maintain ; we, the committee of the Baptist 
churches, think it our duty to say, that in an age and 
country as much enlightened as this is, such acts of injus- 
tice were not to be expected; and in all companies in 
which the affair has been mentioned, it has been a matter 
of astonishment. 

" As a denomination of Christians, we stand on an equal 
footing with any in the commonwealth, and this equality 
we mean to maintain, by every proper method in our 
power. If the i^arish refuse to return the monies taken 
from our society, and continue to tax them to the support 
of the Congregational minister of Barnstable, we shall be 
reduced to the disagreeable necessity of publishing the 
whole to the world, and of taking such other steps as shall 
appear to be necessary. 

" It is our most sincere wish, that the different denomina- 
tions of Christians throughout the commonwealth may 



> Committee. 



BACKUS AT THE SOUTH. 257 

live together in love and friendship, agreeable to the spirit 
of the gospel. 

We are, with sentiments of respect, yours, etc., 
Samuel Stillman, 
Isaac Backus, 
Thomas Baldwij^, 
Thomas Greeis-, 
Joseph Graftois-, 
Boston, Jan. 24, 1791. 

" P. S. We enclose you the minutes of the Warren As- 
sociation, for your perusal. 

" To the gentlemen, the Committee of the First Parish 
in Barnstable." 

MiDDLEBORO', AuG. 16, 1793." 

'• To Mrs. Margaret Draper, 

Lojidon : 
"As your Aunt Starr has shown me several of your 
letters to her, and has desired me to vrrite to you, I am 
now set down to answer her request. The ideas you have 
communicated to her, concerning vital and practical relig- 
ion, agree with what I trust God taught me above fifty 
years ago. And he hath undoubtedly revived that religion 
in many parts of America, in a few years past. At the 
earnest request of brethren at the Southward, I sailed 
from Newport, January 2, 1789, and landed on the tenth, 
in North Carolina; and betwixt then and May 27th, I 
travelled above two hundred miles in that State, and a 
thousand miles in Virginia, and preached one hundred 
and seventeen sermons, to very attentive audiences, who 
liad shown but little regard to religion but a few years 
before; and in Portsmouth, opposite to Norfolk, in Vir- 
ginia, when I sailed from thence. May 27, 1789, there was 

'22* 



258 INCREASE OF BAPTIST CHURCHES. 

no Baptist church nor settled minister of any other de- 
nomination; and yet, in two years after, there was a 
Baptist church of one hundred and fifty members, with 
a settled minister. And in the north-eastern part of New 
England, not a tenth part of their towns had any settled 
^ministers, and but very few churches, until a revival of 
religion began upon Kennebec River, ten years ago ; and it 
has prevailed so as to form about fifteen Baptist churches 
in the counties of Cumberland, Lincoln and Hancock; 
and above half of them in two years j3ast, and the work 
still prevailed when I was there in June. A like blessing 
has been granted in many other parts of our land. Even 
in the j)laces where much blood was shed, when General 
Burgoyne's army was defeated, in 1777, there Avere two 
hundred and ninety-three members added to only two 
cliurches, at Saratoga and Stillwater, in 1791. 

" Yet v\^e have great cause to^be ashamed of ourselves, 
for our behavior under these unspeakable mercies ; for the 
greater light men have, if the heart is not changed, the 
more artful they grow in deceiving each other, and in 
hardening their hearts against the truth. And I am fully 
persuaded that these evils are now carried as for, in Amer- 
ica and elsewhere, as ever they were in any period since 
Adam fell. Cruel superstitions prevailed amazingly in 
former ages, as they do now where gospel light does 
not shine ; but infidelity, under the name of liberty and 
charity, has come in, like a flood, upon countries wiiich 
were favored with the light of the gospel. The injustice 
which you com]3lain of in Boston, which holds you at such 
a cruel distance from your native country, came from 
infidelity, though under the name of i3atriotism, liberty, 
religion, and government. And I had fainted long ago, 
unless I had believed that the infinitely wise God, who 



TRUST m GOD. 259 

has said the heart is deceitful above all things, is now try- 
ing the hearts of all men, in order to the future display 
of his justice, mercy and faithfulness, and of the blessed- 
ness of each man loho trustetli in him^ In this light of 
revelation, the darkest providences appear worthy of him 
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. 
The darkest time that the church of God was ever in, was 
when his Son was crucified, and lay in the tomb until the 
third day. But he said unto his church: This is as the 
waters of Noah unto me ; for as I have sworn that the 
waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I 
sworn that I will not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee. 
All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great 
shall be the peace of thy children;^ which prophecy is. 
applied to the christian church by our Lord and by the 
apostle Paul.^ And as a rainbow is round about the 
throne of God, and his covenant as sure to his church as 
ever it was, all believers may well say, ' Thou art worthy, 
O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power ; for thou 
hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and 
were created.^ 

And my dear friend, that we may all learn to believe 
and obey God, through all changes, so as finally to join in 
the heavenly songs, is the earnest prayer of 

Yours, for Jesus' sake, 

L Backus." 

"May 28. 1796. 
" To William Richards. 

Dear Sir : Yours of March 5, 1793, I answered the 

Fall after, and then sent a copy of a long letter which 

Roger Williams wrote in 1670, lately come to light; and 

iJcr. 17:1 — 10. ajg. 54: J,9, 13. 

3 John 6: 45; Gal. 4:26, 27. 4Rev. 4:3, 11. 



260 STATE OF AMERICA. 

also Governor Winthrop's j^ri^ted journal, which gives 
' much light about Williams. If you should finally fail of 
receiving them, the third volume of my history, which I 
hope you will soon receive, will give you some further 
light about him. And if my life should be spared, and I 
hear that you still want those materials, I will make a 
further attempt to help you in that affair. In the mean 
time, I would take this opportunity to give you a concise 
view of the present state of America. 

The war in Europe has called away much of the pro- 
duce of America; in return for which, money has flowed 
through the country beyond what it ever did before, and 
provisions, live stock, and labor have been nearly double 
.what they were in 1791, and bread has been much more 
than double. And because the powers of Great Britain 
have taken many American vessels, the public papers 
throughout the country have been filled, the year past, 
with inflammatory j)ieces against our highest rulers, be- 
cause they have not made rejDrisals upon them, and at 
length have openly pleaded for war with them. But, after 
long debates, our Congress concluded, about a month ago, 
to carry the treaty into execution, which j^rescribes a way 
of compensation without a war. Thus we see how men 
are inclined to wax wanton in prosperity, and to abuse 
their liberty as an occasion to the flesh, and as a cloak of 
maliciousness. 

But Infinite Wisdom is carrying on great designs, 
wherein he takes the wise in their own craftiness, and 
makes their wrath to praise him. For at the return of 
peace, both in 1763 and 1783, the folly of the people in 
running into debt, and the craft of men in power in seiz- 
ing their estates at home, caused many to remove into the 
wilderness, and to enlarge the cultivation of our country, 



GROWING POWER OF THE BAPTISTS. 261 

beyond what all the wisdom of men could possibly have 
done. And in the year 1795, the showers and shines of 
heaven caused it to be a very fruitful season in New 
Hampshire and Vermont, while they had such a severe 
drought in Canada, as to force them to have recourse to 
these States, for food to keep them alive ; and many of 
their cattle and horses were driven into these States, and 
sold for a small matter, being almost starved. Of these 
things we have undoubted evidence. And though the 
teachers and rulers of the uppermost party in Massachu- 
setts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont are as 
earnest as ever Pharaoh was, to hold the church of Christ 
under the taxing power of the world, to support religious 
ministers, yet that power is daily consuming by the Spirit 
of God's mouth, and the brightness of his coming.^ Very 
few of them now dare to make distress upon any who 
refuse to pay minister's taxes ; and the credit of Baptist 
churches and ministers is daily rising, in all parts of our 
country. And the gospel, enforced upon the souls of men 
by the Spirit of God, has been the evident cause of it ; 
for before the work of his Spirit in the county of Hamp- 
shire, under the ministry of Edwards and others, in and 
after 1734, there were but six Baptist churches in all the 
governments of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and none 
in New Hampshire ; Vermont was not then begun. Yet 
in these four States there are now two hundred and 
eighty-five Baptist churches, and they are increasing fast, 
against all the powers of the world. I have received 
accounts of some Baptist churches, since my history was 
in press, more than are inserted therein ; and these show 
that not less than twenty-eight such cliurches have been 
formed in the counties of Cumberland, Lincoln, and Han- 

i2Tliess.2:8. 



262 "ministers at their owx charges." 

cock, in the District of Maine ; besides a number more 
which are not in fellowship with those churches. 

Yet, in the midst of all these wonders, there are many 
thousands in America, who are willing to own the Baptist 
name, who require their ministers to go a warfare at their 
own charges ; and they, and multitudes of other denomi- 
nations, pay no more regard to the law of Christ, about 
the government of his church and the support of his min- 
isters, than dead men do to the voice of the living. And 
these things make me often think of what God says of his 
witnesses in the street of the great city.^ And if they 
are now slain, we may hope for glorious times as near at 
hand. Be that as it may, our Lord says : Behold, I come 
as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his 
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.^ 
Dear brother, that we may duly regard this rule from 
heaven, is the earnest prayer of 

Yours, in gospel bonds, 

Isaac Backus." 

But we must bring this record of injustice to a close. 
Petitions were originated, from time to time, in the War- 
ren Association, and presented to the General Court, pray- 
ing for an act exempting the Baptists from the payment 
of rates to other denominations. These petitions were 
generally called for by fresh instances of oppression. We 
subjoin a specimen. 

The minutes of the Warren Association, for 1797, after 
stating that Dr. Stillman, Dr. Smith, Mr. Backus, Mr. 
Baldwin and Mr. Grafton were chosen a committee to 
whom any persons taxed to religious teachers of another 
denomination might ajDply for advice, contain the follow- 

iRev.3: 1; 11: 18; Isa. 59:14. 2Rey. 16: 15. 



COERCION BECOMES UNPOPULAR. 263 

ing paragraph : " Whereas the Baptist church and society 
in the South Parish of Harwich have been taxed, for sev- 
eral years past, to the support of the Congregational 
minister, to the amount of several hundred dollars, and 
very considerable sums of it have been actually distrained 
from them, and in attempting to recover it by law, they 
have expended near five hundred dollars more : It is 
therefore earnestly recommended to the several churches, 
to have a contribution for the said society, in order to 
assist them in supporting their just rights, and that the 
money be brought forward to the next association." 

Meanwhile, the public sentiment was becoming grad- 
ually more favorable to the principles of religious liberty 
and equality. The arguments and appeals which had been 
spread abroad in the community were slowly and silently 
effecting the change desired by their authors. The use of 
coercion in obtaining support for the ministry was resorted 
to with increasing reluctance, as an unpopular, if not an 
unchristian measure. And so great was the change in this 
direction, during the first twenty years of the present cen- 
tury, that when a convention was called to amend the 
Constitution, in 1820, it was confidently hoped, by a large 
body of the people, that legislative interference, for the 
sujDport of religion, would be at length prohibited, and 
Christianity be left, as in the beginning, to the hearts and 
consciences of men.^ But, although strenuous efforts 

iJohn Adams was elected a member of this convention, and thus 
alludes to the subject before us, in a letter to Henry Channing: "The 
cantilena sacerdotis will be sung as long as priesthood shall exist. I mean 
not by this, however, to condemn the article in our Declaration of Rights. 
I mean to keep my mind open to conviction upon this subject, until I shall 
be called upon to give a vote. An abolition of this law would have so 
great an effect, in this State, that it seems hazardous to touch it How- 
ever, I am not about to discuss the question at present. In Rhode Island, 



264 SOUL-LIBERTY SECURED. 

were made in the convention to accomplish this result, 
they proved to be unavailing. Not until 1833 was the 
third article of the Bill of Rights so amended, that Church 
and State were separated in the Commonwealth of Massa- 
chusetts, and soul-liberty, as maintained by Roger Wil- 
liams and the Baptists of every age, finally and perfectly 
secured. 

I am informed, public preaching is supported by three or four wealthy 
men in the parish, who either have, or appear to have, a regard for reli- 
gion, while all others sneak away and avoid payment of anything. And 
such, I believe, would be the effect in this State, almost universally ; yet 
this, I own, is not a decisive argument in favor of the law. Subjudice Us 
est. The feelings of the people will have pomp and parade of some sort 
or another, in the State, as well as in the Church. In the Church, they 
have risen from the parson's band and the communion plate, up to the 
church of St. Peters and the Vatican library." 



CHAPTER XIX. 

MINISTERIAL AND HISTORICAL LABORS. 

BACKUS' USEFULKESS AS A PASTOR. —REVIVAL IN 1780. —EXTRACTS PROM 
MR. BACKUS' JOURNAL. — RESTRICTED COMMUNION. — ITINERANT PREACH- 
ING.— JOURNEY TO VIRGINIA; REFLECTIONS AT SEA; A PIOUS NEGRO; 
QUERIES PROPOSED TO A BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN VIRGINIA. — TREAT- 
MENT OF THEM. — BACKUS AS A COUNSELLOR. — ANECDOTE BY REV. SILAS 
HALL. — HISTORY OF THE SOUTH BRIMFIELD CHURCH ; BACKUS' LETTER 
TO THIS CHURCH. — HIS LABORS AS A HISTORIAN. 

Hayhstg traced the course of Mr. Backus, as an advo- 
cate of religious liberty, to its close, we must now return 
and speak of his labors as a pastor, an evangelist, a coun- 
sellor, and a historian. 

He was a diligent and faithful pastor, at home among 
his people, their friend as well as their teacher, taking 
heed to the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made 
him overseer. He not only addressed them from the pul- 
j)it on the Lord's day, but also from house to house during 
the week. Until quite advanced in life, he preached, on 
an average, about two hundred sermons each year, and 
one half of them in private houses. He longed earnestly 
for the salvation of those entrusted by the Great Sheplierd 
and Bishop of souls, to his charge, and he labored pa- 
tiently and persistently to win them to Christ. By the 
record of his baptisms "at home," it appears that his 
efforts were not altogether fruitless, during any considera- 
ble period. One after another, two or three in a year 

23 



2bb REVIVAL OF 1780. 

even in times of declension, those who listened to his 
preaching were convicted of sin and led to cry out, ' What 
must we do to be saved?' But the days were evil. 
There were wars and rumors of wars in the land. Every 
thing seemed imfavorable to religious prosperity. Yet 
there were occasionally times of refreshing from the 
presence of the Lord. One of these occuiTcd in the 
midst of the war .of the Revolution. During the year 
1780, God was pleased to remember his people, and visit 
them in a remarkable degree by his spirit. Since the 
Great AAvakening, there had not been so extensive and 
deep a work of grace in New England. Though most 
powerful in 1780, it began the previous year and continued 
in various places until about the close of 1782. Mr. 
Backus baj^tized upwards of seventy-five persons " at 
home," who were converted during this revival. We 
subjoin a few notices which he gives of this blessed work 
in different parts of New England. 

"Sept. 12, 1780. Our Association met at the town 
meeting-house in Royalston. The most remarkable ac- 
counts were received of an extensive work of conviction 
and conversion in various parts of this land that has been 
known therein for these thirty-seven years." 

"Dec. 30th. We [Mr. Backus and Mr. Hunt] had a 
pleasant jDassage over to Martha's Vineyard, and I preached 
in the evening at Jonathan Manter's, where elder Lewis 
and brother Samuel Parker met us. A glorious work of 
God has lately taken i^lace here. It began in the follow- 
ing manner. David Butler, his cousin Rebecca Butler, 
and Abigail Pease, on the east side of Holmes' Hole, and* 
Ebenezer Daggett's wife, on the west side, were brought 
under soul concern a year ago ; the latter by the loss of a 
son, another by means of a transient jDreacher ; and after 



TEN NEW CHURCHES IN ONE YEAR. 267 

great distress of soul were converted in April and May. 
These were instrumental of awakening many others. 
And the last of June, David Butler came over and was 
baptized by elder Lewis ; who went to the Island in July 
and baptized Peter Norton, Esq., High Sheriff of the 
county, and seven more. He went over again in August 
and a third time in October. Elder Hunt went there in 
November, and such a blessing was granted upon their 
labors that they sent a request to each of us to come over 
at this time to assist in forming a church among them." 

"Dec. 31st. In the year which is now closed, I have 
travelled nineteen hundred and eighteen miles, and 
preached two hundred and forty-eight times, with as 
little weariness of body and with as much liberty of soul 
as I ever was favored with in my life. The Vf ork of con- 
viction and conversion has prevailed more extensively in 
New England than it has done since the year 1742 ; and 
not less than three quarters of the subjects of the work 
have embraced believers' baptism ; so that ten new Bap- 
tist churches have been formed in this State, besides what 
have been formed in others. Very large additions have 
also been made to our old churches." 

"Jan. 14, 1781. Preached once, and baptized six men ; 
the power of God was with us." 

" March 3d. My own vileness and insufficiency, and the 
greatness of my work of watching for souls as one thnt 
must give account, were impressed with uncommon weight 
upon my mind during the last week." 

"July 15th. Preached twice in Barnstable, and admin- 
istered the supper. Isaac Case, of Rehobotli, met me at 
Baxter's and is still with me. He was converted in De- 
comber, 1779, aged 19, w^ns called to preach in July, 1780, 
and was instrumental last winter of a number of conver- 



268 " SPIRITUAL FAVOKS STILL/' 

sions here and at Harwich. The church in Barnstable 
has about doubled her members." 

"July 23d, (Pembroke). I find a great change in Mr. 
Hobart's children since I preached here last year. On 
Tuesday I went to Marshfield and preached at brother 
Thomas Joyce's ; also again on Wednesday, and twice at 
David Howard's. A precious number have been con- 
verted here in the year past, and they discover a good 
temper now." 

"Sept. 11th. Proceeded fi.'om Charlton to South Brim- 
field, where thirty churches met in association. We had 
a most agreeable interview, and much business was des- 
patched with great harmony, till our meeting was dis- 
solved Wednesday night. On Thursday, I came and heard 
Thomas Green preach at Sturbridge in the evening. On 
Friday I preached there, and also at elder Green's meet- 
ing-house in Charlton, where a glorious work has pre- 
vailed during the year past." 

" Dec. 30th. Another year is now closed, wherein I have 
been enabled to preach two hundred and fifty sermons, 
and to journey fourteen hundred and four miles, with 
health of body and freedom of mind. The work of con- 
viction and conversion has abated in most parts of the 
country, though we have still great spiritual favors. In 
South Brimfield the work is lately revived, and it begins 
to spread in Sandwich, formerly a very ignorant and 
stupid place. In June a powerful work began in Wood- 
stock, Windsor, Newport and other towns, in or near the 
State of Vermont ; and it reached to Dartmouth College. 

The old continental money passed, from July to Febru- 
ary, at seventy-five dollars for one of silver ; it then depre- 
ciated fast till it stopped passing, about May 25th, by 
reason of news from Philadelphia. On the 26th of May 



CLOSE COMMUNION. 269 

a man at Norwicli gave one thousand dollars for a felt 
hat." 

"April 7, 1782. Barnabas Perkins of Hanover in New 
Hampshire, informs me of a glorious work of divine grace 
which began last June in Newport in that state, and which 
has spread into twenty towns or more. In Dresden and 
Hanover it has risen to a most happy degree." 

"April 21st. (Canterbury.) Preached three times in the 
centre of the town, where a remarkable revival of religion 
began on January 20th, so that they had meetings nearly 
every night for above a month, and fifteen or twenty souls 
were hopefully converted. After sundry conferences they 
began, the fifteenth instant, to rebuild their church, each 
one telling his own experience, and so covenanting to- 
gether ; but the old party, who are for building on human 
laws, try to counter-work them." 

" September 10th. Went to Providence to the meeting 
of the Warren Association, which was large and remarka- 
bly harmonious. Very agreeable accounts were received 
of a powerful work of grace now going on in Putney, 
Westminster, Fullum, and towns adjacent, in Vermont; 
and at Saratoga and Stillwater, above Albany." 

The following item in his journal reminds us of an ear- 
lier period of his life. "August 20, 1783. Went with my 
daughter Eunice to Braintree ; lodged at my old friend 
Linfield's ; and saw a paper, dated April 25, 1783, attested 
by John Porter, pastor, which debarred their sister, Han- 
nah Linfield, from communion in that church, for being 
rebaptized, which implied that infant baptism was a nul- 
lity, and so that the church were unbaptized. Thus those 
who call us very rigid, debarred a sister from communion 
for no other crime than answering a good conscience in 

baptism." 

23* 



270 "HOME LABOR. 

The blessed revial of 1780, was followed in Titicut by a 

long i^eriod of relative declension; and not until the la- 
bors of Mr. Backus were almost finished, was there an- 
other season of extraordinary attention to religion. For 
upwards of twenty years he continued his work of faith in 
the patience of hope. One by one a few of those under 
his care were brought to repentance, but the many ap- 
peared to have chosen the world for their portion. Still 
his ministry was not without a blessing. He endeavored 
under Christ to keep those who had been committed to 
his charge and to feed them with the sincere milk of tlie 
word. He esteemed it no inconsiderable part of his work 
to confirm the weak, to comfort the soiTowful, to restore 
the wandering, to instruct the ignorant, in a word, to edify 
the body of Christ ; and in this department of labor he 
was successful even when the ungodly refused to hear 
and be saved. Thus, not without many trials and dis- 
couragements, but with many supports and tokens of use- 
fulness, did he remain at his post and preach the Word 
to his own people until the Lord took him up. 

Yet the preaching of Mr. Backus was not confined 
within the limits of his own parish. Having begun his 
ministry in the glow of youthful zeal as an evangelist, 
he seems to have retained through life a great interest 
in this species of christian effort. He loved to seek out 
districts which were comparatively destitute of the means 
of grace, and there preach the gospel to the poor. And 
when at length churches were planted in these places, he 
watched their progress with all a father's anxiety. He 
was acquainted with their leading members, was aware 
of the obstacles which they had to surmount in carrpng 
forward the vrork, and rejoiced in their honor and useful- 
ness more than if they were his kindred according to the 



ITINERANT LABOR. 271 

flesh. Mr. Backus was not, to be sure, singular in this 
respect. Many of his brethren were accustomed to make 
excursions in the same way for the purpose of carrying 
the gospel to all. To mention the names of Hezekiah 
Smith, Thomas Baldwin, Joseph Grafton, Isaac Case, Ste- 
phen Gano, John Leland, and many others of similar 
spirit, is enough to prove that Baptist pastors of a former 
age went everywhere preaching the Word. But no one 
of these, we think, went forth so often and so far to 
give the Word of life to the destitute as did Mr. Backus. 
This may have been due in part to the smallness of his 
church, and to the pecuniary resources which he pos- 
sessed ; but it was chiefly due to the early and deep in- 
terest which he felt in this kind of ministerial activity. 
Without making any particular reference to the num- 
erous visits which he paid to places in New England, 
it will be suflicient for our purpose in this narrative to 
furnish a brief account of his journey to the South. 

In 1788, the Warren Association held its annual meet- 
ing in Sturbridge, on the ninth and tenth of September. 
At this meeting a letter was received from Virginia, 
giving some account of a remarkable work of God in that 
State, and earnestly requesting ministerial aid from the 
North. By the general voice of his brethren, Mr. Backus 
was selected to visit Virginia, and Mr. Hunt was re- 
quested to accompany him and assist in the work. 
" This," says Mr. Backus, " was entirely unexpected ; but 
I agreed to take it into consideration and to act as light 
should be given." He finally decided to go ; but Mr. 
Hunt was unable to accompany him. He sailed from 
Newport January 2, 1789, and after a rough voyage landed 
at Washington, in Beaufort County, North Carolina, about 
noon of the 10th. "While we were tossed," he says, 



272 ITIXERANCY IN SOUTHERN STATES. 

" with the winds and waves, so that the seamen had 
many fears, I was led to review my life and carefully 
to search into the motives of this voyage and designed 
journey, and I had the testimony of my conscience that 
they were desires to be obedient to the will of God in 
doing good to the souls of men, and a conviction that 
this was the way of my duty in that respect." In the 
town of Washington, where he landed, Mr. Backus found 
a few brethren, and began without delay to proclaim the 
gospel. Obtaining a horse, he set forth on his journey, 
preaching as he went. Almost every day he found op- 
portunity to discourse upon the vital doctrines of Chris- 
tianity, in meeting-houses, court-houses, or dwelling- 
houses. Between January tenth and May twenty-sev- 
enth, he travelled on horseback twelve hundred and fifty- 
one miles in North Carolina and Virginia, and preached 
one hundred and seventeen sermons. The people gen- 
erally were anxious to hear, and there is reason to be- 
lieve his labor was not in vain in the Lord. Yet the 
notices of his diary are very brief, giving for the most 
I^art scarcely more than the names of places where he 
preached, and of persons with whom he became ac- 
quainted. We copy the following passages: 

" March 27th. Mr. Templeman told me that overhear- 
ing a christian negro of his exjDressing his sense of the evil 
of his master's selling liquor on the Sabbath, provoked 
him so that he got a stick next morning with an intent to 
scourge him for it ; but as soon as the negro saw his mas- 
ter come into the stable where he was, he very humbly 
asked liberty to speak ; which being obtained, he gave a 
relation of his experience, which was followed with such 
an exhortation to his master as not only made him for- 
get his cruel design, but also proved a means of his con- 
version." 



ASSOCIATIONAL MEETINGS. 273 

"May 11th, We [the members of the association] met 
early, and three sermons were preached out mider the 
trees, while the association went through their business 
in the meeting-house. Advice was asked in various cases ; 
as whether a man might be an elder at large who was or- 
dained over a small church and then dismissed ? Whether 
all elders were equal in office ? What should be done 
when a man slave was owned by one master and his 
wife by another, and one was carried to such a distance 
as never to be likely to see the other in this world ? 
Whether they must continue single or not ? Also, 
whether a master or mistress had a right to correct ser- 
vants who were members of the same church, for family 
disobedience ? In these and other cases, at their request, 
I gave the best light I had ; and there appeared such a 
willingness to learn and to do the will of God, and our in- 
terview before had been so agreeable, and withal likely to 
be the last in this world, that our parting Avas much like 
that recorded in Acts 20 : 36-38." 

"May 16th. Came through part of Surry and Southamp- 
ton counties to elder Barrows' meeting-house in Isle of 
Wight county, to an association of churches, partly of 
Virginia and partly of North Carolina. This association 
was held amongst the small remains of an Arminian Bap- 
tist church which was gathered by Elder Norden, who 
came from London, 1714; the first Baptist church in Vir- 
ginia, I suppose. They were reduced almost to nothing, 
when Elder Glamore and others came and preached sov- 
ereign grace among them, and a great reformation has 
taken place in these parts." 

Besides accomplishing the direct object of his mission, 
Mr. Backus in this journey made himself acquainted witli 
the history and condition of the churches which he .vis- 



271 BACKUS AS A COUNSELLOR. 

ited ; so far, at least, as this could be done in a brief 
period by inquiries upon the spot. The memoranda T\^hich 
he took at the time were not, however, of such a nature 
as to interest the general reader. Names and dates may 
be invaluable to the historian, but they convey little in- 
struction to the mind of him who glances his eye rapidly 
over them and passes on. 

It should also be remarked that Mr. Backus was often 
called to assist by his counsel in the settlement of eccle- 
siastical difficulties. In the collection of his manuscripts 
there is still a bundle of papers — the sheets being no 
larger than the palm of a man's hand — which describe 
in plain and simple language the journeys made by him 
during a series of years. From these papers we have 
made several extracts in a previous chapter to illustrate 
his spirit and success as an Evangelist. They show, how- 
ever, not only the frequency and extent of his travels to 
preach the Word, but likewise, incidentally, the confidence 
felt by the churches in his wisdom and impartiality. For 
although in many instances he was led to go from place 
to place solely by his desire to proclaim the gospel and 
win men to Christ, it is made but too certain by these 
artless records that he was often called to sit in council 
with his brethren for the settlement of difficulties. In- 
deed, it is obvious from the papers to which I have re- 
ferred, and from other sources of information, that the 
second half of the last century was a period of religious 
no less than of f)olitical agitation. It was a period of in- 
quiry, discussion, action, transition. Laws, usages and 
opinions were fearlessly called in question. Men were 
earnest and energetic rather than amiable and wise. In 
the Baptist churches there were many restless spirits to be 
guided, and many difficult problems to be solved. Their 




A '' RECONCILING '^ PKAYER. 275 

members were for the most part zealous, independent and 
conscientious, but not always intelligent, liberal and far 
sighted. Hence it was not a strange thing for their pas- 
tors to suffer want and to charge their people with neglect. 
Hence, too, there were differences of opinion as to the 
course which ought to be pursued when the civil govern- 
ment trespassed on the territory of religion. And hence, 
likewise, whatever may have been the proximate causes, 
there were more frequent differences between brethren 
of the same church than we observe at the present day. 

Mr. Backus was thoroughly versed in the principles of 
church polity laid down in the New Testament. His 
opinions were carefully drawn from this sacred fountain, 
and were, it is believed, intelligible, consistent and well- 
grounded. If we add to this the fact that he was person- 
ally known to a great part of the Baptists in Massachu- 
setts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, it will be readily un- 
derstood why he was present at so many ecclesiastical 
councils, and why he was so useful in reconciling dissen- 
sions. For obvious reasons we shall refer to but one or 
two instances in illustrating this part of his work as a 
servant of Christ. 

" The following anecdote," says Rev. Silas Hall, " is 
sometimes related by the aged Christians in this region. 
An impleasant rupture took place between Rev. Mr. Al- 
clen, late of Bellingham, and a certain Mr. Mann, a member 
of his church. All attempts for a reconciliation were in 
vain. At length a number of ministers were called to- 
gether for consultation and advice ; among them were 
Stillman of Boston, Manning of Providence, and Backus 
of Middleboro'. The conference was held at the liouse of 
Rev. W. Williams in Wrentham, and they spent the after- 
noon and almost all the following night in their pious 



276 CASE OF SOUTH BRIMFIELD CHURCH. 

efforts ; but the parties were unyielding, and there Avas not 
the least prospect of a settlement. For a long time Mr. 
Backus had sat with his head bowed down, and appeared 
to be sleeping. A little before break of day (which is said 
to be the darkest time) Mr. Backus rose u]), saying, 'Let 
us look to the throne of grace once more ; ' and then 
kneeling down, he prayed. The spirit and tone of his 
prayer were such as to make every one feel that the 
heart-searching God had come down among them. The 
result was, the contending parties began immediately to 
melt, and the rising sun saw the rupture healed and 
closed up forever." 

We give another specimen of the labors of Mr. Backus 
as a counsellor, for two reasons ; first, because it will ac- 
quaint the reader with the principal, if not the only in- 
i||ance in which the Baptists were justly charged with 
having endorsed the princijDles of the Standing Order as 
to the support of ministers ; and secondly, because it will 
illustrate the way in which Mr. Backus always treated 
questions of church polity. 

A small Baptist church was organized at 'South Brim- 
field on the fourth of October, 1736. Mr. Ebenezer Moul- 
ton was ordained pastor of this church on the fourth of 
November, 1741. Soon after, during the great awaken- 
ing, Mr. Moulton and a number of his church were con- 
vinced of being still in an unregenerate state and were 
presently brought into God's marvellous light. This led 
to bitter dissensions in the church, until in the winter or 
spring of 1748, Mr. Moulton and ten or eleven of the old 
church gave an account of their experiences to one 
another, and having prepared and signed articles of 
faith and covenant, left the rest of the church, without 
letters of dismission, and proceeded to administer the or- 



A DEPARTURE EROM PRINCIPLE. 277 

dinances by themselves. Affairs remained in this posture 
several years; but at length Moulton removed to Nova 
Scotia, and Mr. James Mellen of Framingham was chosen 
his successor. lie was ordained on the eleventh of 
September, 1765. But Dr. Lawrence and some other 
Pedobaptists, being displeased with the settlement of a 
minister of their own denomination, the same week in 
the other part of the town, persuaded Mr. Mellen that 
they would get a parish set off there, and would make 
rates for him. He and some of his people were so un- 
wise as to listen to this proposal. Accordingly, applica- 
tion was made to the General Court, and the winter fol- 
lowing they were set off as a parish by themselves and 
made rates one year for Mr. Mellen. But a considerable 
part of the Baptists did not unite in this movement. And 
now the Pedobaptists moved to have a large meeting- 
house, which the Baptists had previously built, made over 
by vote to the parish; and because the Baptists would 
not consent to this they declined paying their rates in 
the following year to Mr. Mellen. The collector, wishing 
to be impartial, strained upon one Baptist and one Pedo- 
baptist, and sold their goods at vendue. The matter wns 
brought before a legal tribunal, which determined that 
Mr. Mellen was not such a minister as their law was 
made to su^Dport. Hence no more rates were made for 
him. Soon after, on the eleventh of June, 1770, the 
church took the following action : " After supplication 
to God under our destitute circumstances, it was unani- 
mously agreed njDon to send this confession abroad 
amongst our Baptist brethren, viz. : That the method of 
supporting the ministry by a rate some i:>art of the time 
of Elder James Mellen's ministry amongst us was not op- 
posed by us as it ought to have been ; and for the future 
24 



278 A LETTER OF ADVICE. 

[we] propose it shall be supported by a free contribution ; 
asking forgiveness of God and our brethren ; asking your 
prayers to God for us, that for the future we may conduct 
as becomes a church of Christ. 

Signed by Joseph Hoyey, 



^ ^ . Deacons. 

Benjamin Johis^so:^^, ) 

In behalf of the church." 



Mr. Backus visited South Brimfield, Oct. 18, 1770. By 
examining the church records, and by conversing with the 
most intelligent members, he made himself acquainted 
with the history and condition of the churc]i, and then 
gave them his advice, in the following letter : 

" South Brimfield, Oct. 22, 1770. 

" Dearly Beloved : I heartily sympathize with you in 
your trpng circumstances ; and my thoughts, this morn- 
ing, were turned upon those words of the apostle : ' Xo 
chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but 
grievous; nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peace- 
able fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised 
thereby: wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, 
and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your 
feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but 
let it rather be healed.'^ These words contain both en- 
couragement and direction, which appear to me suitable 
to your case ; encouragement, though your trials are 
many, and direction how to proceed in order for relief 
And if I might contribute anything towards it, it would 
add to my joy. 

" In order to answer your request of my advice in your 
case, I would observe that in the next words we are com- 

iHeb. 12:11 — 13. 






" FIRST PUREj THEN PEACEABLE." 279 

manded to ' follow peace with all men, and holiness, with- 
out which no man shall see the Lord,' which words may- 
be explained by those of the prophet, ' Love the truth and 
peace,' ^ and by those of the apostle, ' The wisdom that is 
from above is first pure, then peaceable;'^ which plainly 
shows that a peace without holiness is to be avoided ; 
but that peace, so far as it consists with truth and purity, 
is to be followed with all men. And as to church affairs, 
it is plain that moral evils, such as fornication, covetous- 
ness, idolatry, railing, drunkenness, and extortion, exclude 
l^ersons from a right to communion therein.^ So does the 
perverting of gosj^el doctrines ; for of those who did this 
in the churches of Galatia, the apostle observes the same 
as he does of these moral evils, namely, that ' a little 
leaven leaveneth the whole lump,' and says he would that 
such were cut off, that is, excluded from their communion.^ 
Also from such as have the form, but deny the j^ower of 
godliness, we are commanded to turn away.^ From 
whence it appears that moral evils, corruption in doctrine, 
or opposition to the power of true religion, are just bars 
of communion. 

" In the next place, I would observe that the Scripture 
makes a plain difference between the action of a church 
and the acting of particular members, with regard to such 
things. To the church it says : ' What have I to do to 
judge them that are without? Do not ye judge them 
that are within ? Put away from among yourselves that 
wicked person.' ^ But when the body of a church have 
become corrupt and can't be reclaimed, the saints are com- 
manded to come out from among Jhem, and be separate : 
' Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of 

iZech. 8: 19. 2 james 3: 17. ^ i Cor. 5: 11. 

4 Gal. 5 : 9, 12. ^ 2 Tim. 3:5. ^ i Cor. 5 : 12, 13. 



280 HOW TO MAKE STRAIGHT PATHS. 

her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.^ Here 
take notice, that if those who are truly God's people are 
the minor part, they are not to assume the power of the 
body, but to come out and separate themselves from it. 

" And now to come to your case ; I think it is agreed, on 
all hands, that those who told their exjDeriences and signed 
the articles and covenant, with elder Moulton, in 1748, 
Avere the minor part of the church in Brookfield ; there- 
fore they could not properly be said to be the church 
which the elder first took the charge of And though I 
am of the mind that they had just grounds to withdraw 
from the church, and have no disposition to condemn any 
past acting among you, in worship and ordinances, which 
was done with an upright heart, — though those who 
acted mio-ht have been as much wanting^ in a fruitful un- 
derstanding of divine rule, as those in Hezekiah's time,^ — 
yet I can't see any other way for you now to make straight 
paths for your feet, but to leave the things which are 
behind, and begin anew, by freely declaring what God has 
done for your souls, and so to join in covenant together, 
and go on to build the old wastes, etc.^ And if you see 
light to proceed thus, it will naturally give opportunity of 
having the case of that sister, which has occasioned such 
difficulty among you, fairly tried and settled. 

" This is the clearest light concerning your case which 
at present is affi^rded to your brother and servant in the 
gospel, 

Isaac Backus." 

It will also be proper for us to say a few words, in this 
place, respecting his labors as a historian. These were 
commenced before the year 1770, and were continued till 

1 2 Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4. 2 Chron. 30 : 18 — 20. 3 is. 61 : 4. 



BACKUS AS A HISTORIAN. 281 

near the close of his life. They engrossed a large share 
of his attention. They led him to make many jom-neys, 
for the purpose of consulting original papers ; and they 
greatly increased the number of his correspondents. He 
doubtless composed rapidly, never seeking to adorn his 
pages with the graces of rhetoric ; but, after making all 
due allowance on this score, it is evident, nevertheless, 
that a very considerable part of his time must have been 
consumed in writing. He ascertained most of the events 
narrated in the second and third volumes of his history, 
by visiting the localities where they took place, and search- 
ing the records on the spot, or taking the testimony of 
eye-witnesses. Hence it is that the materials of his valu- 
able history may be found, to a considerable extent, in his 
diary and other manuscripts. From these records, which 
he was making wherever he went, and into which he com- 
f)ressed a vast amount of facts, he drew out the pages of 
his history. Had his literary culture been more thorough 
in early life, he would have made his narrative more 
attractive to the general reader; but it may be doubted 
whether he would have been able to give a more truthful 
account of his own age. His volumes are a full storehouse 
of events, indispensable to every one who would under- 
stand the true history of New England. But to those of 
his own religious faith, they are specially interesting; for 
they furnish almost the only memorials which have come 
down to us, of the piety, consistency, and sometimes hero- 
ism of brethren who lived in a darker period, and suffered 
long to obtain the freedom we now enjoy. 

24* 



CHAPTER XX. 

LETTEKS EROM CORRESPONDENTS. 

CHARACTER OP THESE LETTERS. — 1. FROM JOB MACOMBER, DESCRIBIXa A 
PREACHING TOUR IN MAINE. — 2. FROM JEDEDIAH HEBBARD, COMMEND- 
ING MR. BURROUGHS, OF HANOVER, N. H.— 3. FROM THE SAME; EXTRACT, 
NOTICING THE PERPLEXITY OF SOME AS TO THE CHURCH RELATION OP 
BAPTIZED CHILDREN. — 4. FROM THOMAS BALDWIN, REFERRING TO THE 
DOUBTS OP SOME, IN RESPECT TO THE GROUND OF CHRISTIAN FELLOW- 
SHIP. — 5. FROM JOB SEAMANS, DESCRIBING A REVIVAL IN NEW LONDON, 
N. H. — 6. FROM ELEAZAR CLAY, SPEAKING OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN 
VIRGINIA. — 7. PROM WILLIAM ROGERS, ON OPPRESSION IN MASSACHU- 
SETTS, ETC. — 8. FROM HENRY TOLAR, ON THE GREAT REVIVAL IN THE 
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. — 9. FROM JOSHUA BRADLEY, ON THE RELIGIOUS 
INTEREST IN NEWPORT, R. I. — 10. FROM JOSEPH CORNELL, ON A REVIVAL 
IN PROVIDENCE. —11. FROM JOHN BOLLES, CONCERNING THE GROWTH OP 
THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION. — EXTRACTS FROM BACKUS' JOURNAL, AT 
THE CLOSE, RESPECTIVELY, OP 1782, '83, '84, '85, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '97, '99, 1800, 
1801, '2, '3, '4. 

The historical and other public labors of Mr. Backus 
gave rise to an extensive correspondence. His own let- 
ters have mostly perished ; but a large collection of those 
which he received is in the hands of the writer. Some of 
them describe journeys, on foot or on horseback, for the 
purpose of preaching the gospel ; some of them local re- 
vivals of special interest ; some of them, the general state 
of religion throughout large sections of the country, north 
or south ; some of them, the progress of Baptist senti- 
ments ; some of them, the spread of novel and erroneous 
opinions; and some of them, instances of oppression by 
the standing order. We present a few specimens of this 



JOB MACOMBER. 233 

correspondence, in order to assist the reader in forming an 
estimate of the men and the times with which Mr. Backus 
was connected. 

Job Macomber, the writer of the following lettei', was, 
at the time, a member of Mr. Backus' church, and a 
licensed preacher of the gospel. In 1782, he visited New 
Gloucester, Me., where a small Baptist church had been 
constituted the year previous. On turning to the journal 
of Mr. Backus, we find this record : 

" Oct. 2, 1782. Elder ISTelson and Jeremiah Basset, from 
Taunton church, and elder Job Seamans and Jacob ISTew- 
land, from Attleboro' met here with our church, to con- 
sider a request from the Baptist church in New Gloucester, 
that we would ordain brother Job Macomber as a gospel 
minister. Upon mature deliberation, we found that their 
request was not to ordain him as their pastor, and we had 
not clearness in ordaining him as a minister at large, and 
so did not do it." 

Mr. Macomber continued his labors for a time in New 
Gloucester, but soon after the letter which follows was 
written, he took up his residence in Bowdoinham, Avhere 
he was ordained pastor of a Baptist church, in August, 
1784, and discharged the duties of his office twenty-six 
years. 

'*New Gloucester, Me., Jan. 7, 1783. 

" Dear Frie:n'd : These are to inform you that I and so 
many of my family as are in these parts are well, and, 
through the tender mercy of God, we are well provided 
for. My wife is in a better state of health than she has 
been for some years. 

As for religion in this town, it is at present very low, 
although there are a number of very agreeable Cln-istians, 
well established in the faith. But I must inform you that 



284 " THE ISLES OF THE SEA.'' 

on the third day of December, Capt. Woodman and I set 
out on a journey east. On the same day I preached at 
Major Browne's in North Yarmouth ; and the fifth day we 
arrived at Parker's Island, near the mouth of the Kenne- 
bec river. I preached the same day. We found there 
had been a great and marvellous work begun about a year 
and a half before ; and no Baptist minister being nearer 
than Nathaniel Lord, hearing of them he went to see 
them and baptized a large number. I cannot now give 
you the particulars, but they informed me that about sixty 
had been baptized on this island and on another some 
eight miles from them. They appeared to be very serious 
Christians — not the least appearance of any wild disorder 
among them as in many places in this part of the country. 
December sixth, I preached on said neighboring island ; the 
seventh, at the town of Wolley ; and the eighth, on Par- 
ker's Island again — three meetings in the same day. We 
there heard of a wonderful work in Potterstown,^ which 
is about eight miles from Brunswick. We set out for the 
town and arrived there on the tenth. We found the work 
had begun about eigthteen months previous, and had been 
so wonderful among men, women and children, that as 
they told us, there were none left in the town to oppose 
them ; they were opposed by those out of town, but not 
by the residents. We had five meetings in the town, and 
they told us of a town about seven miles distant, called 
Smitlisfield, where a work was newly begun. We went 
there and found it was a township newly settled ; and as 
we passed by their cabins and log houses, we could hear 
their language in christian conversation. In passing this 
way we had two meetings in the town. At One of the 
meetings in Potterstown, though a new town, Capt. Wood- 

1 Now Bowdoin. 



LABORS OF JAMES POTTER. 285 

man judged there were above two hundred people on a 
very cold day. One James Potter in said town met with 
a change about eighteen months ago, being near forty 
years old ; and as there was no preacher in the place he 
told me he had spent fifteen months of the eighteen in go- 
ing from house to house warning the peoj)Ie of their danger 
in a state of sin. Before he met with his change he was 
pursuing the world greedily, and obtained a great estate ; 
but now he says that he had rather throw this estate 
all away than to have his mind entangled with it. His 
greatest gift appears to be in prayer and conversation. 
In discoursing with little children and with young con- 
verts his labors have been much blessed ; and it seems to 
be no cross for him to go from house to house and exhort 
men, women and children. He told me that he had been 
a week from his family in a town called Bowdoinham, 
where there were signs of a great work, some in almost 
every family being under deep concern for their souls. 

" On the sixteenth we left the town, and Mr. Potter went 
with us as far as a place called Little River, where there 
had been indications about three weeks before of a spirit- 
ual moving in the minds of a large number. Mr. Potter 
told us they had been a very secure, unconcerned people. 
We held a meeting there in the evening; and on the 
eighteenth we arrived home in New Gloucester, having 
been absent fifteen days, and having held eighteen meet- 
ings. 

"Before we took this journey, Capt. Woodman had 
been very worldly minded for some time, but after he got 
home he spent two or three days in going from liouse to 
house and discoursing with his neighbors concerning their 
souls. As for my own part, I can tell you that I never 
had so great satisfaction in any visit or journey in all my 



286 " WAITIXG TO BE BAPTIZED." 

life, nor so great freedom in preaching. These words 
were often in my mind : " The wilderness shall blossom as 
the rose." 

" The i^eople at Potterstown were brought up with the 
common denomination, and had never heard a Baptist 
preacher more than once before. In that case. Mr. Na- 
thaniel Lord preached as he was coming from the islands 
where the work first began; and they said they had never 
before heard such a seimon as he delivered. Before going 
to visit them we had heard that they were of the common 
denomination ; but when we came to discourse with them, 
it appeared that the greatest part of them had been led 
by the Word and Spirit of God, into believers' baptism, 
and were waiting for an opportunity to be baptized. * * * 

"I desire you would send me a few lines by the bearer, 
to let me know how you and om- brethren do. So I con- 
clude, wishing you heaven's blessing. 

From your friend and brother, 

Job Macombek." 

Our knowledge of Mr. Hebbard, writer of the letter 
given below, is derived entirely from his correspondence 
with Mr. Backus. He was baptized by the latter, June 6, 
1771, and is described as "a sensible and gifted brother." 
He was pastor of a small Baptist church in Lebanon, 
]Sr. H., and several of his letters evince much intellectual 
vigor, as well as soundness of doctrinal belief and active 
piety. 

*' Lebanon, [S. H.], Oct. 11, 1784. 
" Dear Brother : — In general it is a time of declen- 
sion in religion ; but we have reason to rejoice in God, for 
he is carrying on a glorious work at the creek towards 



hebbard's letter. 287 

Lake Champlain.^ The last I heard was that sixteen 
towns were wonderfully visited with the outpourino- of 
God's spirit. 

" And the Lord has visited C , so that there have 

been very lately between twenty and thirty hopeful con- 
verts ; the woi'k has also reached the next town. These 
are neighboring towns, and there is some appearance of 
conviction in our town. Dear brother, let us rejoice in 
God and his work. 

"In these parts there is a great struggle about church 
discipline, and some have got on so far that men of the 
world call them distracted and say they will turn the 
world upside down ; but they do n't consider that then it 
will be right side up. Mr. Burroughs, of Hanover, a town 
adjoining Lebanon, has written a piece holding forth the 
spirit of the churches and of discipline. I desire you to 
write me your thoughts upon it. I can say I think it an 
alarm from the walls of Jerusalem ; and with these lines 
I send you a copy. Last Thursday night I lodged with 
Mr. Burroughs, and told him I intended to send you one 
of his books. He desired that you would write a letter 
to him, and condemn Avithout flattery whatever you dis- 
cover in the piece that is not agreeable to truth ; but if 
you think it is according to truth, to signify the same in 
your letter. 

"Mr. Burroughs has a very clear understanding of the 
doctrine of the cross, and seems to be wilhng to take it 
up. He has fellowship with the Baptists, and has ex- 
changed with elder Baldwin, of Canaan, on the Sabbath. 
* The reason, as he tells me, is because the Baptists in their 
discipline, honor Christ's laws, and do not, in so daring a 
manner, trample on Christ's authority. Desiring your 

1 Probably Otter Creek, Vt. 



288 " CHILDREI^ OF THE CHURCH.'^ 

prayers for us, and wishing that grace, mercy and peace 

may be multiplied to the churches, I rest your brother in 

gospel bonds, 

Jedediah Hebbard. 
Elder Isaac Backus." 

We select part of another letter from the same hand. 
"Our Congregational ministers in this region are form- 
ing an Association ifow. They can't agree with the Pres- 
byterian Association lately formed here ; for the latter 
hold that children sprinkled are in the church and under 
its authoritative care and watch, and the former do not. 
It seems they are at a loss to know whereabouts baj^tized 
children — so called — are, as to their relation to the visi- 
ble church of God, or what their standing is ; and this will 
always be the case when men, or societies of men, pro- 
ceed without divine warrant in building or disciplining 
churches. Their language will be confounded. Sir, can 
you tell how many languages those that are building the 
Babel of infant baptism speak in that particular ? But I 
acknowledge they are rather to be pitied and prayed for, 
than reproached ; and I believe many are honest and sin- 
cere Christians, and are come to Mount Zion, the city of 
the living God. 

" If you observe anything too hard in the above observa- 
tions, impute it to my infirmity, arid be so kind as to ad- 
monish me as a brother therefor ; for I hold many of other 
denominations in charity, and am willing to walk together 
so far as we are agreed. I heartily wish a unity of spirit 
among Christians of difierent denominations might be 
secured ; for it would not only be for the increase of love, * 
charity and other christian graces, but also of greater 
fi-eedom of thought. * * Sir, I have a desire to know 
whether our denomination in your State is like to obtain 



LETTER OF THOMAS BALDWm. 289 

their religious liberty, or whether there has anything new 

turned ujd since the last association. I desist, begging 

your prayers for me, and the prayers of the saints with 

you, that I may know my duty, and have grace to do the 

same. 

The Lord be with you, — from your friend, 

Jedediah Hebbaed. 
Lebanon, Makch 27, 1781." 

Our readers will need no introduction to Thomas Bald- 
win, for so many years pastor of the second Baptist church 
in Boston. His letters to Mr. Backus were generally brief, 
owing, perhaps, to the amount of labor required of him as 
a preacher of the gospel. We present one which was 
written soon after he entered the ministry, while doing 
the work of his Master in a rugged and obscure town of 
New Hampshire. 

" Canaan, (N. H.), Sept. 3, 1787. 

" Yeky dear Sir : — I received yours of July 9th, but 
have since had no opportunity to write till the present 
moment, which I gladly embrace. Nothing very special 
among us at present in respect to religion, at least no gen- 
eral awakening. Two of a city and one of a family are 
taken and brought to Zion. There is a measure of peace 
in our churches, although there are some trials resj)ecting 
the new ideas of the atonement. These were treated 
somewhat in our association, as you doubtless will see by 
the minutes, and may be further informed of by elder 
Fletcher, who was present and heard the debate. * * 

"I hear that there is a glorious work of reformation in 

many towns in Connecticut, particularly in Stonington, 

Groton, New London and Lyme. We also hear that tlie 

savages near the Ohio are submitting to the authority of 

truth. 

25 



290 JOB SEAMANS. 

" Many minds in these parts are perplexed respecting 
the ground of christian fellowship^ Those that prefer 
communion with all Christians, plead for their practice 
chiefly, Rom. 15 : 7. I wish your thoughts on that pas- 
sage. Our association has requested me to write upon the 
subject against the next meeting, I hope to hear from 
you before long. My unfeigned desires are to the head of 
the church that this innocent cause may prosper, and I 
hope that you may be continued in your usefulness for a 
great while to come, that you may lean your head on Je- 
sus' breast, and bring forth much fruit in old age. * * 
Please remember me to your dear consort, and permit me 
to subscribe myself. 

Your brother in tribulation, 

Thos. Baldwin. 
Elder Isaac Backus." 

Job Seamans was for several years pastor of the Baptist 
church in Attleboro', Mass. But he removed at length 
to New London, N. H., where he labored faithfully and 
usefully about forty years, until the close of his life. His 
influence has not ceased to be felt in the place ; Baptist 
sentiments have prevailed to an unusual extent, and to this 
day the only church in town is the Baptist church. A 
more intelligent and virtuous community can hardly be 
found than grew up around this devoted pastor, and trans- 
mitted its virtues to the present generation. 

" New London, Jan. 29, 1793. 
"Sie: You may remember that when I saw you at 
Rowley, I was under trials in my mind, whether I had not 
stepped out of my lot in Zion, in coming to this town. 
No created being but myself knows what I have gone 
through on that account. Indeed, it appears to me that I 



REVIVAL AT NEW LONDON. 291 

should have fainted under, and been quite overpowered by, 
my trials, had it not been for that one single text of Scrip- 
ture, Habakkuk 2 : 3. ISTot that this was the only support- 
ing scriptm^e ; but it was the great prop. I trust I shall 
have cause to bless God for it forever. And now, that 
you may bless the Lord with me, and that we may exalt 
his name together, I will give you some account of my 
deliverance. 

"Last election day I preached a lecture to our young 
people from Mark 10 : 21, ' One thing thou lackest^ Ever 
after this our people came more generally to meeting, and 
gave much better attention than usual ; but nothing special 
appeared, until I went to Hopkinton to supply the Bap- 
tist church there, Lord's day, August 19th, where I admin- 
istered both ordinances. Here a good work has been 
going on since June. As I returned home, my mind was 
greatly exercised ; the above quoted text, with Psalm 27 : 
4, and 126: 5, 6, Revelation 8: 12, sq., came into my 
mind, and my meditations on them were sweet. Now I 
felt great peace in my mind. I saw, to my great satisfac- 
tion, that there was a blessing for this people. Now, and 
never till now, could I give up Attleboro' ; and as soon as 
I gave up Attleboro', I took New London; since which I 
have been at peace. 

" The next Lord's day following, I preached in the fore- 
noon from Exodus 14: 12. The next Monday week a 
youngerly married man, (excellent in nature,) came to see 
me to converse about the great concerns of his soul. I 
found him under heavy conviction, and that he got his 
wound from that sermon. He informed me that he thought 
his wife was more distressed than he. Both of them :v:o 
now rejoicing in Christ. From that time to this, I hope 
I have preached but few sermons in vain. 



292 FRUITS OF THE REVIVAL. 

" Lord's day, Sept. 23d, was very powerful. Two middle- 
aged men were struck under deep soul concern, who, with 
their wives, have been brought out and have joined the 
church. I can give you no further particular account ; 
for by this time the town was pretty generally alarmed, 
and there are but few, if any, families amongst us that 
have not had a share. 

" This town consists of about fifty families ; and I hope 
that between forty and fifty souls in it have been trans- 
lated out of darkness into God's marvellous light, besides 
a number in Sutton and Fishersfield, who congregate with 
us. They are aged, middle-aged, youth, and children. 
Fifteen have been baptized and have joined the church. 
A number more, I expect, will come forward in a short 
time ; indeed I know of no one of them who is not likely 
to submit to gospel order ; nor is there one person in the 
town, to my knowledge, who stands in any considerable 
opposition. As to the work itself, I know not of a dog to 
move his tongue in this town. 

" We have lectures or conferences almost every day or 
evening in the week. Our very children meet together and 
converse and pray with each other. And I believe I may 
safely say, that our young people never were one-quarter 
so much engaged in frolicking, as they are now in the 
great things which concern their souls and eternity. The 
work still continues ; though I believe there are not quite 
so many under heavy conviction as there were some time 
back. Some things in this work exceed anything I ever 
saw before. Their conviction has usually been very clear 
and powerful ; so that industrious men and women have 
had neither inclination nor strength to follow their busi- 
ness as usual. They freely acknowledge the justice and 
sovereignty of God. I have put these questions to some 



DEEP CONVICTION. 293 

of them : ' Is God just in casting you off forever ? ' Ans, 
' O, yes ! ' — ' Would God be just in damning you, though 
he should save another sinner just as bad as you ? ' — Ans. 
' O yes ! he has a right to do what he will with his own.' 
Some have been in such distress that they thought they 
should live but a few minutes, and those who were with 
them have been afraid they were dying. When they are 
delivered, they usually go into travails of soul for sinners — 
females as well as males, children as well as grown people, 
have this exercise, and some to such a degree that it has 
racked and weakened their bodies greatly. Also, they 
have desires, beyond what I have ever known, for a uni- 
versal out-pouring of the Spirit. 

" Perhaps my long broken letter will weary you ; but I 
have only given you a sketch. I shall only add, that 
through superabounding grace to the vilest, I must say 
that, for the most part, my mind is comfortable and much 
encouraged; and I, with my wife, have abundant reason 
to bless God that we hope our oldest child (Sally) is 
brought into the kingdom ; and our oldest son (Charles) 
has been under amazing distress of mind — I shall never 
forget his groans ; but although he is relieved of his bur- 
den he is not clear in his own mind. Others of our chil- 
dren are thoughtful. 

"I hope, sir, that you enjoy much divine consolation 

in the last stage of your journey ; as, I doubt not, you will 

have many seals of your ministry, which will be stars in 

your crown forever. * * With sentiments of esteem and 

friendship, I subscribe myself your brother in the faith 

and fellowship of the gospel. 

Job Seamans. 

PtEV. Isaac Backus/* 

During his visit to the South, Mr. Backus became ao 

2i* 



294 LETTER FROM A SOUTHERN MINISTER. 

* 

quainted T^'ith the Rev. Eleazar Clay, who resided in Ches- 
terfield county, Virginia, and who is characterized by him 
as a " wealthy and most agreeable Christian." Mr. Clay 
was a prominent and useful minister of the Baptist persua- 
sion, and the acquaintance then formed was kept up by 
frequent correspondence. 

"March 29, 1799. 
"Aged axd Reverend Brother: * * In the church 
which I serve we have a great calm. Are not such times 
more to be dreaded, than when the billows are near burst- 
ing over our heads ? Or has not God set one over against 
the other, that we may learn to fear him, who worketh all 
things after the counsel of his own will ? In some of the 
churches of our district God has granted precious revivals; 
to wit, in the churches of brother Saunders and brother 
Flowers. Other ingatherings are small, — iniquity abounds, 
deism prevails, and the spirit of the world comes in like a 
flood on every side. * * * God has at last touched the 
hearts of our rulers, and they have hstened to our me- 
morial, doing away all we asked for. * * * So that all 
the clouds which threatened religious liberty with us 
are blown over. The Lord grant, that neither we nor 
our posterity may forget his favors, bestowed so freely 
on us. * * * From your history, you were not then free 
fi'om the hand of power ; may God grant you your re- 
quest, after all your labors and toils, and an abundant 
entrance into his heavenly kingdom, — is the j^rayer of 
your unworthy friend and Christ's servant in the Gosj^el, 

Eleazar Clay.'' 

The Rev. William Rogers, D. D., with whom Mr. Backus 
held correspondence for many years, was pastor of the first 



LETTER FKOM PROFESSOR ROGERS. 295 

Baptist church in Philadelphia, and Professor of Belles- 
Lettres in the University of Pennsylvania. He was a man 
of liberal culture, an active Christian, and a zealous friend 
of religious liberty. 

"Philadelphia, December 20, 1799. 
"Dear Sir: * * * Our metropolis is now all pensive- 
ness on account of the death of the venerable "Washing- 
ton. The United Sates have most assuredly lost a friend 
and a uniform patriot ! 

" I hope this will find you restored to health, and that 
your valuable life may be protracted many years to come, 
as a blessing to our Baptist Israel and to the church of 
God generally. The revivals of religion which you speak 
of are peculiarly illustrative of the glorious doctrines of 
grace, — " the wind bloweth where it listeth." Oh for the 
outpourings of the same Spirit in this city, where spiritual 
deadness is preeminently apparent and extreme wicked- 
ness boldly triumphant ! Brother Baldwin transmitted 
me his printed details of the many revivals ; verily, if God 
works, none can let ! 

" Of our associated connection, the New Britain church 
and one or two more, are at this time under similar visita- 
tions of kindness from the Almighty, though not to so 
great a degree. We will give thanks even for the day 
of small things. 

" You will see by the enclosed Aurora^ that I have made 
some use of that part of your excellent letter which relates 
to the shameful oppression of our brethren in Massachu- 
setts. The introductory remarks are by the editor of the 
Aurora himself In one or two instances, in the extract 
itself, I took the liberty of altering the phraseology only 
— strictly adhering to the sense. I trust this publication 



296 GREAT REVIVAL IN THE WEST. 

at the seat of government and in these middle states, will, 
if no other good be produced thereby, cause a relaxation 
of some sort to take place in the system of New England 
despotism ! * * * 

Very affectionately your friend and brother, 

William Rogers." 

In the following letter, from the Rev. Henry Tolar of 
Virginia, reference is made to the great revival in the val- 
ley of the Mississippi. In this revival, which was shared 
by the Presbyterians and Methodists, the Baptist churches, 
in Kentucky and Tennessee only, received by baptism 
more than ten thousand converts in four years. It may 
truly be said, that the wilderness was made to bud and 
blossom like the rose.^ 

"Westmoreland, Virginia, August 8, 1801. 

"Beloved Brother: Two years ago you gave me a 
pleasing account of the work of God in various parts of 
New England. I could say in return, that, it would seem 
a greater work has appeared in Kentucky, but will only 
observe that two thousand five hundred had been bap- 
tized there since the beginning of last August, when we 
received the information last spring. There have been 
great revivals in some churches in this State within a 
year or two, particularly on James River. But alas, we 
have very little prospect of a great revival here. However, 
we may say, I trust, the Lord is with us. We have many 
visits of late by ministering brethren. I baptized nine 
persons last month, and have a few more to baptize now, 
and it seems that a serious inquiry has overtaken a few. 

1 See an interesting account of this revival, by J. M. Peck, in the Chris- 
tian Review of October, 1852. 



CIROULATIOK OF BACKUS'S HISTORY. 297 

"I cannot flatter myself that we shall see you here 
again, but wish we could, I have sometimes an inclina- 
tion to visit your country, but I know not what God in- 
tends with me. May we each wait in the place and 
service we ought to be in ! May the many revivals be- 
gun in diflerent States of this Union, spread, till the 
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord ! And 
may the Lord be with you, and make your last your best 
days ! * * * is the prayer of your very unworthy fellow- 
laborer in Christ's vineyard, 

H. TOLAB." 

It will be inferred from the first sentence of the follow- 
ing letter, that the writer, Joshua Bradley, jDastor of the 
Baptist church in Newport, Rhode Island, was in some 
sense an agent for the sale of Mr. Backus' works. While 
omitting the subsequent details, we have retained this 
sentence for the purpose of calling attention to the fact, 
that Mr. Backus seems to have taken the pecuniary respon- 
sibility of his published works in general, and also to the 
fact that his brethren in the ministry made sjDecial ef- 
forts to increase their circulation. Many of his brethren 
obtained subscribers for his history, distributed the work 
and forwarded to him the pay. 

"Newport, [Rhode Island] February 13, 1805. 

" Dear Sir : I am sorry that I have been disappointed 
in not receiving the money for your books which I sent 
into Connecticut. Brother West informed me last Oc- 
tober that he would exert himself to send it before winter. 
* * * Concerning the good work among us, I have the 
happiness to observe that, in my opinion, it is increasing. 
I have baptized thirty-five since I saw you at Warren, and 



298 REVIYAL IN PROVIDENCE. 

there are about fifteen more ^lio profess to hope in 
Christ of late. Many of them, I think, will soon put on 
Christ and walk in the footsteps of the flock. The Lord 
was pleased to bless brother Kendall's preaching here, 
while I was at Kingston, to the awakening of some. Oh, 
pray for us, and especially for such a worthless sinner 
as I am. The more I study the holy Scriptures and 
see the glory of God shine around me, so much the 
more I am led to see the need of the Spirit to assist 
me, and of the righteousness of Christ to stand as the 
only sure ground of my acceptance before God. I can 
say from my heart, I do abhor self and am determined 
fo deny it, take up my cross and follow Jesus. 
Affectionately yom's, 

Joshua Bradley. 
Key. L Backus." 

"VTe add two letters more, one from Joseph Cornell, 
pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Providence, and 
the other from John Bolles, pastor of the Baptist church 
in Hartford. They were written at a very interesting pe- 
riod in the history of Zion. 

"Dear Sir: Tour heart would rejoice, were you in 
Providence ; for the Lord has come doT\Ti like rain on the 
mown grass. The groans of the Avounded and the songs 
of the delivered are heard almost continually. Twenty- 
four were baptized, and nineteen joined mth the Baptist 
church on Lord's day, and many more are brought into 
liberty. The work is still going on in various j^arts of 
the town ; our assemblies have increased, till our meet- 
ing-houses are full, and in some instances there is not 
room enough to receive them. The ears of the people 



LETTER FROM JOHN BOLLES. 299 

are open to hear, and we hope the Lord will yet do greater 
things for us all, though we are most unworthy. The 
blessed Jesus must needs come through Providence, and 
make our hearts sing for joy ; for which we would forever 
praise his most holy name. Pray for us, that, whilst we 
have left our wide field of the West and North, with the 
many tender plants of Christ's plantation in the wilder- 
ness, to come to this old town, we may not do anything 
against the truth, but for the truth. My unfeigned regards 
to all the family and church. God be thanked, we are 
all well. From yours, in Christ our Lord, 

Joseph Cornell. 

PkovidencEj April 8, 1805." 

Hartford [Ct.], Nov. 9, 1805. 

"Much respected and dear Elder : I thank the Lord 
that your useful life is yet continued ; and I thank you 
for remembering your unworthy friend, and for the very 
friendly and interesting letter which you wrote me on the 
nineteenth of August last. The agreeable facts therein 
stated, showing the great increase of Zion's cause in our 
happy land and among our acquaintance, rejoice my poor, 
tried, unbelieving heart. When I look back on the fathers 
of our day and think what conflicts they have had with 
spiritual wickedness in high places, and now see the great 
deliverance which God has wrought for his gospel church, 
and then take a view forward to the still more glorious 
day when Jerusalem shall be made a praise through the 
earth ; with what pleasing prospects may the faithful 
fathers yield up their missions with their breath into the 
hands of Jesus, who has called them and enabled them to 
be faithful to the death ! My prayer to Almighty God is, 
that your active life may not stop at the advanced age of 



300 INCREASE OF BAPTISTS IN CONNECTICUT. 

eighty-two years, but that you may yet live to see the in- 
crease of the Redeemer's kingdom, so that you may longer 
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. * * * 
I remain, as ever, your friend 

and unworthy brother in the truth, 

John Bolles." 
" P. S. After writing the above, I thought to mention 
some of the wonderful works of God's grace in parts of 
this State. In the town of Suffield, eighteen miles from 
Hartford, there has been the year past a marvellous shower 
of divine grace. One new Baptist church in the east part 
of the town, in fellowship with Elder Hastings' church, 
has been constituted; and the members that have been 
added to both are more than one hundred. In Lebanon 
there has been an extraordinary work. A large meeting- 
house was built by the Presbyterian people in a contention 
among themselves ; and after it was done, on account of 
some dislike to the party that built, the Presbyterian min- 
isters refused to preach in it^, and the committee applied to 
the Baptist Association for preaching. The Lord was 
pleased to bless the labors of his servants, and last Sep- 
tember there was a BajDtist church constituted in gospel 
order, under the jDastoral care of Elder Nehemiah Dodge. 
Since that time numbers have been added to the church ; 
and the Baptist interest is gaining foot in that region, and 
in various places of this State, where our principles and 
people have been and still are spoken all manner of evil 
of There is great attention to the word spoken, and 
many precious souls are hopefully brought to love the 
Lord Jesus, are willing to own his despised cause and fol- 
low his humiliating examj^le. Thus the Lord is carrying 
on his work, raising up and sending forth faithful laborers 
into his glorious harvest. Ride on, ride on, O thou Prince 



PREVALENCE OF ERROR. 301 

Immanuel, till the whole world shall crown thee Lord of 
all ! I might continue such information ; but concluding 
the good news from your old State has reached your ears 
before now, I shall forbear, — wishing you the pleasure of 
seeing Zion arise among your own dear people. J. B." 

But while Mr. Backus, during the last thirty years of 
his ministry, was often cheered by tidings from different 
places where God was reviving his work and enlarging the 
borders of Zion, he was also reminded, by a thousand 
signs, of the general indifference to religion and devotion 
to worldly pursuits, which were characteristic of this 
period. Universalism began to prevail; novel views of 
the Atonement and of the higher nature of Christ were 
spread before the public by means of the press, and were 
tacitly endorsed by many of the standing order ; and 
pride, extravagance and injustice were doing their strange 
work throughout the land. It is necessary for us to bear 
in mind these darker features of the times, in order to ap- 
preciate the language which Mr. Backus so frequently used 
in his diary at the close of another and another year. 
With a few extracts from this language we shall complete 
our survey of the last period of his life. 

At the close of 1782 he says: "The doctrine of salva- 
tion for all men had spread so far in our country, that I 
thought it my duty to write against it — which [writing] 
was published at Providence on the fourth of June. In 
August, a pamphlet in favor of that heresy was published 
at Boston; in which Dr. Chauncy is judged to have a 
leading hand, and most of the ministers in Boston appear 
to favor it. In August also a second edition of Relly was 
published at Providence. These things have helped to 
shake down religious establishments by human laws." 

26 



302 "a dead sleep." 

" 1783. Great indeed have been the events of this year. 
The British court gave up her claims of power over the 
American States, November 30, 1782. Preliminaries for 
peace were signed at Paris on the twentieth of January, 
1783, and the peace was settled there on the third of Sep- 
tember following. In the mean time, the great men of the 
earth crowded in their fine wares upon us, which all ranks 
of people in America were fond of buying, to an unspeak- 
able damage in the sinking of public credit and the most 
extravagant gratification of pride, intemperance, fraud and 
cruel oppression."^ 

" 1784. In our parts, and through most of the country, 
a sort of dead sleep has seized the minds of the people, so 
that public worship has been more neglected than ever 
before since New England was planted. Intemperance, 
profaneness and cruel oppression, have also greatly pre- 
vailed." 

1785. "Considerable revivals of religion have been 
granted on our eastern coasts, in New York, in portions 
of New Jersey, and in some other places ; but through 
most of New England, profaneness, intemperance, cruel 
oppression, damnable heresies, and a dead sleep about re- 
ligion, have prevailed beyond what I never knew before." 

Similar remarks occur in his review of the next four 
years. 

" 1789. Such a revival has been granted in the towns 
of Swansey, Rehoboth, Warren and Dighton, that about 
two hundred and fifty persons have been bajDtized. In 
the fall of 1788 a like revival began in our western bor- 
ders, so as to gather a new Baptist church in Conway, and 
another in Buckland. In Hampshire and Berkshire not 
less than four hundred and fifty have been baptized ; and 

1 Rev. 18: 23. 



■L. NUMEROUS REVIVALS. 303 

many also in our northern and eastern counties. Yet in 
most parts of New England, a careless neglect of religious 
worship, and a spirit of fraud, oppression and sensuality, 
have prevailed to an amazing degree." 

" 1790. God hath visited many places by the converting 
influences of his Holy Spirit, public confidence in our con- 
tinental government hath been considerably revived, and 
the fear of the people is a greater check to the lusts of 
officers, than in any government ever before erected by 
man. Yet the authority of the holy scriptures seems to 
lie as a dead body in our streets ; but I hope for a glorious 
resurrection soon." 

"1791. In several parts of the country, religion has 
been revived. Six new Baptist churches have been formed 
in our state. But a narrow selfishness hath prevailed so 
far about the support of Baptist ministers, that petitions 
fii^om several societies have been can-ied to our Legislature 
for incorporation. # ^ # Fraud seems to have reached 
its height. But Zion's God reigneth ; glory to his name !" 

"1792. Wonders of the grace of God have apjDcared 
in many places." 

" 1793. A few have been awakened in our society, and 
one hopefully converted, though she hath not had strength 
to come forward and join the church. But such a glorious 
visitation hath been granted to the third Baptist society 
in our town, that about forty have been baptized, and a 
number in Carver. A great blessing also hath been 
granted in Barnstable and Harwich as well as Plymouth. 
Elder Case informs me that in two years past, fourteen 
Baptist churches have been gathered in the counties of 
Cumberland, Lincoln and Hancock. Many other places 
have likewise enjoyed heavenly showers, while amazing 
stujoidity and extravagance generally prevail." 



304 ACCOUNT OF REVIVALS CONTINUED. 

" 1794. The grace of God has been gloriously displayed 
in various parts of our country, especially in the district 
of Maine and in New Hamj^shire." 

"1797. Stupidity and infidelity are as visible in our 
land as ever they were since Christianity was planted 
therein. Yet several places have been happily visited in 
the year past. The Baptist church at Montville, under 
the care of elder Reuben Palmer, has had sixty members 
added to it ; and the church in Groton, where elder 
Wightman died in November, 1796, had twenty-eight 
added before October 1797, when the work was still going 
on. The same number was also added to the church in 
Shutesbury between April and September, where more 
were expected soon. A like work was granted at Nor- 
wich and Thetford in Vermont, and at Lyme in New 
Hampshire. Last summer a work began at Buckland and 
Ashfield, which spread into Conway in the fall with great 
power ; also into Colerain ; and the two churches in Ash- 
field were happily united again." 

"1799. Though great coldness about religion prevails 
in most of our country, yet it has been lately revived in 
more places than for eighteen years before. In the year 
closing with last June, two hundred and fifty-nine persons 
were added to the three Baptist churches in Shaftsbury, 
while not one member died in either of them durinsr the 

o 

year ; seventy-six were added to the church in Sandisfield ; 
above fifty to brother Nelson's church in Hartford ; above 
eighty to elder Lee's in Lyme ; eighty-two to elder Hall's 
in Gushing, county of Lincoln." 

" 1800. The revivals of religion in different parts of 
our land have been wonderful ! " 

" 1801. Although stupidity has greatly prevailed in 
our land, yet religion has been revived in many places. 



GREAT REVIVAL IN BOSTON. 305 

Thirty-three have been added to the two Baptist churches 
in Boston ; thirty-four to that in Wrentham ; thirty-three, 
to the first in Attleboro'; thirty-eight, to Woodstock; 
twenty-nine, to Harvard ; sixty-two, to elder Hick's in 
Rehoboth ; one hundred, to that in Dighton ; and the 
like in many other places. In a letter from Georgia, dated 
Nov. 17, 1801, it is said: "According to the best accounts 
from Kentucky, there have been added to the Baptist 
churches since last March nearly six thousand, while mul- 
tudes were joining the Methodists and Presbyterians." 

" 1802. Our religious privileges are still very great, and 
a powerful work of grace is going on in Newport, in Som- 
erset near Swanzea, and in several towns of New Hamp- 
shire and Vermont." 

"1803. We hear joyful news from several places. Re- 
ligion is revived in the south part of our town and in 
many southern towns. In Boston there is the greatest 
work going on which they have ever known there. A 
measure of it prevails in Charlestown, Maiden, Woburn, 
Reading, Salem, and more distant places." 

"1804. During the past year, nineteen persons have 
been received into our church, and more are expected 
soon. Elder Kendall has baptized twenty-four at Carver 
and ten at Kingston within three months ; and there has 
been the greatest work ever known in Boston within the 
last two years. Two hundred and eleven persons have 
been baptized the year past in both churches, making six 
hundred and seventy-five in the two churches, and the 
work is still going on there and in other places." 

Thus did the present century, the era of modern mis- 
sions, begin with a signal outpouring of the Holy Spirit ; 
and even while we write, a no less extraordinary work of 
God is in progress. Now, as then, multitudes are flocking 

26* 



306 "a constant revival.'^ 

to Jesus, and men who have grown gray in his service, 
exclaim with grateful joy, What hath God wrought! 
May we not hope for the return of these times of refresh- 
ing from the j^i'^sence of the Lord with greater and still 
greater frequency, until one shall overtake and unite with 
another, and the life of the church be a constant revival, 
an uninterrupted and victorious progress ? 



CHAPTER XXI. 

CHARACTER OF BACKUS. 

MR. BACKITS'S FAMILY. — DEATH OP HIS WIFE. -— DEATH OP HIS DATTGHTER 
SIBEL. — HIS OWN DEATH. — EPITAPH. — TESTIMOISTY OP DR. BALDWIN. — 
BACKUS' REMARKABLE DILIGENCE. — HIS STERLING SENSE. — HIS ARDENT 
PIETY — HIS POSITION AND INFLUENCE. 

Very little has been said, in the progress of our narra- 
tive, of the domestic life of Mr. Backus ; not, however, 
because it was less noble or happy than his public life, 
but because the sources of information resiDCcting it are 
scanty, and the events which they preserve, in no way 
remarkable. Yet it would be unsuitable to close this 
narrative without noticing briefly the family circle, in 
which were passed the sweetest moments of his life, and 
speaking of his character in the tender relations of hus- 
band and father. 

In a previous chapter, we have described his marriage 
to Miss Susanna Mason, and have cited the testimony 
which he bore in old age to her excellence. All the 
references made to her in his papers, perfectly agree with 
that testimony. She appears to have possessed, in large 
measure, those womanly virtues which make home peace- 
ful and attractive. She was frugal, looking well to the 
ways of her own household. She was thoughtful and 
affectionate, seeking not only the domestic comfort of 
her husband, but also sympathizing with him in his 
religious opinions, and desires, and labors. She was do- 



308 DEATH OF MRS. BACKUS. 

vout, training up her children in the nurture and admo- 
nition of the Lord. His union with her continued fifty 
years, until her death. In his journal for November 24, 
1800, we find this record: — 

"A heavy day. My wife said but little about dying. 
Elder Rathbun was here on the twelfth, and prayed with 
her; and when he asked what she would have him pray 
for, she said : ' I am not so much concerned about living 
or dying, as to have my will swallowed up in the will 
of God.' And on the seventeenth she said much the 
same to Elder Cornell, who prayed with her. For many 
weeks she could take no hearty food, and rarely took 
any drink without vomiting after it. She had much 
inward pain, but bore it with great patience, and never 
expressed any fear of death. Thus she wasted away, 
until about six o'clock this morning, when she expired 
without any great struggle." Two days later " a large 
assembly met at eleven; Elder Samuel Nelson prayed; 
Elder Rathbun preached from Matthew 24: 44, and Mr. 
Gurney made the last prayer: after which, the remains 
of my dear consort were interred in our usual burying 
place. My daughter Nelson and a son, daughter Fobes, with 
her husband and children, with my children in the house, 
attended. May this great stroke be sanctified to us all." 

Mr. Backus was no stranger to affliction. The death of 
his mother, whom he tenderly loved, many years before, 
and the death of his youngest daughter, more recently, had 
tried his submission to the will of God, and had illustrated 
in him the power of christian faith. But now a heavier 
blow had fallen upon him, and he was again called to prove 
the words : " As thy days, so shall thy strength be ; the 
eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlast- 
ing arms." At the close of this year, he writes: — "The 



DEATH OF SIBEL BACKUS. 809 

change in my family is unspeakably great ; yet my mind 
has been upheld by God, beyond expectation." 

They had nine children,^ all of whom lived to grow 
up and gladden the hearts of their parents by dutiful and 
affectionate conduct. The youngest, however, was taken 
away at the age of twenty, after a lingering illness. " My 
daughter Sibel," says Mr. Backus, under date of March 
20, 1788, "hath gradually declined, until she was scarce 
able to sit up to-day. She wasted away very fast, with 
ulcers in the stomach, which caused much pain ; yet we 
never heard a murmuring word from her mouth. She 
had a very deep sense of sin upon her mind, and dis- 
tressing fears that she had not true convictions, because 
her heart was so vile and hard. She once requested us 
to pray that she might have such a clear sight of God's 
righteousness, as to give up her all into his hands. At 
another time, I asked her if she had such a view of a 
righteous and gracious God, as to be willing to give up 
her soul and all into his hands? Her answer was: *I 
think I have.' And she gave a like answer to a like 
question, a few hours before her death, March 23d, at 
about half-past four o'clock, P. M. I preached twice, 
and then came and saw my dear daughter pass through 
the dark valley without such a manifestation of light as 
I longed for; which grieved my heart. But God is wise 
and righteous, and hath done us no wrong. So far from 
it, he hath given us, for twenty years, her life, and for 



1 Hannah, born Kov. 8, 1750, died Nov. 24, 1827. Nathan, born June 18, 
1752, died March 24, 1814. Isaac, born Feb. 21, 1754, died April 16, 1814. 
Eunice, born Oct. 23, 1755, died Sept. 16, 1815. Susanna, born Oct 13, 
1758, died Sept. 19, 1805. Lois, born Aug. 3, 1760, died Jan. 23, 1853. 
Lucy, born April 13, 1763, died March 4, 1837. Simon, born March 7, 
1766, died July 20, 1833. Sibel, born Feb. 17, 1768, died March 23, 1788. 



310 DEATH OF BACKUS. 

the most part of that time, her useful labors, in such an 
obedient manner as scarce ever to need a reproof from us." 

Thus, for the first time, was the destroyer permitted 
to enter the pastor's family and bear away a beloved 
member. Twice more he came before the father was 
called, taking first his faithful companion, and then a 
second daughter. This last affliction preceded by a single 
year his own death. 

On the 10th of September, 1805, Mr. Backus met at 
TTarren, for the thirty-fifth and last time, with the Warren 
Association. He preached on the evening of the eleventh, 
and returning^ home the next dav, found his clauo-hter 
Susanna sick. Under date of September 20th, we find 
the following language in his jom^nal: "When we came 
home from Warren, and found my daughter sick, we 
did not look upon her condition as very dangerous, until 
the seventeenth; yet she wasted fast away, till she ex- 
pired, a little after one on the morning of the nine- 
teenth, and was buried to-day. Oh, how sudden and 
great is this breach in my family!" 

But he had little time remaining to deplore his loss. 
Turning once more to his journal we read, imder date 
of Lord's day, March 9, 1806, this short but charac- 
teristic sentence : " I was favored with uncommon free- 
dom in preaching." Within less than a fortnight, he 
lost the use of his right hand by reason of paralysis: 
yet he appeared before the people of his charge once 
more, at the Annual Fast, on the 3d of Aj^ril, and uttered 
in their hearing his last public testimony for Christ. On 
the twenty-third of this month his speech failed ; but 
he lingered along, confined to his bed, until the 20th of 
November, when he entered into rest. 

"The grave of this good man," says Rev. Silas Hall, 



HIS EPITAPH. 311 

" is in the burying-ground near the Congregational meet- 
ing-house in Titicut ; at the head of which stands a plain 
stone, with this inscription: 

''HERE LIE DEPOSITED, THE REMAINS 

OF THE 

Rev. ISAAC BACKUS, A. M., 

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE NOVEMBER 20, 1806, 

AGED 82 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS, 

IN THE SIXTY-FIRST YEAR OF HIS MINISTRY. 

As a Christian and Minister, the character of this man was truly con- 
spicuous. As the pastor of a church in this town, for fifty-eight years, he 
was eminently useful and beloved. His domestic and relative duties, as 
a husband and parent, were discharged with fidelity, tenderness, and af- 
fection. His zeal and persevering industry in the cause of civil and reli- 
gious liberty, through a long, laborious life, is still manifest in his writings, 
as an Historian of the Baptist denomination, and defender of the truths 
of the doctrine of Christ. Having uniformly borne testimony in his life, 
conversation, and ministry, of his ardent love to his Divine Master, and 
the doctrine of the Cross, in an advanced age he was called from his 
beloved charge and numerous christian friends and brethren, to sleep in 
Jesus, and his spirit into the garner of his heavenly Father, as a shock of 
corn fully ripe. 

* God was his portion and his guide, through this dark wilderness, 
And now his flesh is laid aside, his soul has endless rest.' " 

With this record may properly be associated the lan- 
guage of Dr. Thomas Baldwin, his intimate friend, re- 
specting his personal appearance, his manner in the pulpit, 
and his consistent life. ''M.r. Backus' personal ai^pearance 
was very grave and venerable. He was not far from six 
feet in stature ; and in the latter part of his life consid- 
erably corpulent. He was naturally modest and diffident ; 
which probably led him into a habit whicli he continued 
to the day of his death, of shutting his eyes when con- 
versing or preaching on important subjects. His voice 
was. clear and distinct, but rather sharp than pleasant. 



. 



312 CHARACTER OF BACKUS. 

In both prapng and preaching, he often appeared to 
be favored with such a degree of Divine unction, as to 
render it manifest to all, that God was with him. Few 
men have more uniformly lived and acted up to their 
profession, than Mr. Backus. It la^ be truly said of 
him, that he was a hurm7ig and shining light ; and, 
though dead, he left behind him the good name which 
is letter than precious ointment^ 

The estimate which we have formed of Mr. Backus, by 
a somewhat careful study of his life, accords with the 
testimonies thus given. We shall, however, be permitted, 
in closing this narrative, to isolate and place in the fore- 
ground, a few of his leading characteristics. 

Mr. Backus was remarkable for his diligence. Accus- 
tomed from youth to manual labor, he was able, in the 
midst of his days, not only to superintend the cultivation 
of a farm, by which his large family was in part sup- 
ported, but also, during his early ministry, to aid with 
his own hands in sowing the seed and gathering in the 
harvest. But as he advanced in years, and the weight 
of his public responsibilities increased, he was compelled 
to desist almost entirely from this kind of service. Not 
so, however, with his journeys. These were fi^equent and 
laborious until the end of life. Over the hills, across the 
valleys, and beside the streams of New England, he 
pursued his rugged and toilsome way, and accomplished 
his useful mission, — whether that mission was to preach 
the gospel to the poor, to plead the cause of the oppressed, 
to assist the people of God by his counsels, or to examine 
the simple records of their history. Once he was thrown 
from his horse and severely injured ; at another time ^ he 

1 "February 1, 1785. Set off early [from Braintree] but the cold north 
winds so affected my head, that for some miles before I got into Boston, 



LIST OF HIS PUBLISHED WRITINGS. 813 

was near losing his life by the cold; and very often he 
rode from morning till night in the chill and drenching rain. 
He was also a faithful student. Giving little attention 
to poetry, or any other form of polite literature, he ap- 
plied himself with deep earnestness to the study of God's 
Word, with the best helps accessible, and examined with 
great care the chief works in his own language upon sys- 
tematic theology, ecclesiastical history, and church polity. 
He keenly watched the shifting forms of error, and assid- 
uously qualified himself to withstand their approaches. 
Believing that a minister of Christ should understand 
the spiritual wants of his own age^ and prove himself a 
watchman ever ready to give the alarm, and a champion 
ever willing to encounter the foe, he strove with uncom- 
mon zeal to illustrate this belief by his conduct. Hence 
he was compelled to read, not only standard works, but 
the fugitive writings of the day. Besides, he was him- 
self a prolific author.^ IJis published writings, including 

I cannot recall one idea of any thing that passed, until I found myself by 
Mr. Freeman^s fire in town." The danger incurred by this exposure to 
cold, is said to have induced Mr. Backus to procure the enormous wig 
which he wore in his later years. 

1 See his Discourse on the " Nature and Necessity of an Internal Call," etc. 

2 List of his published writings. — A Discourse on the Internal Call to 
Preach the Gospel, 1754. A Sermon on Gal. 4: 31, 1756. A Sermon on 
Acts 13: 27, 1763. A Letter to Mr. Lord, 1764. A Sermon on Prayer, 
1766. A Discourse on Faith, 1767. An Answer to Mr. Fish, 176S. A 
Sermon on his Mother's Death, 1769. A Second Edition of his Sermon 
on Gal. 4: 31, with an Answer to Mr. Frothingham, 1770. A Plea for 
Liberty of Conscience, 1770. Sovereign Grace vindicated, 1771. A Ser- 
mon at the Ordination of Mr. Hunt, 1772. A Reply to IMr. Holly, 1772. 
A Reply to Mr. Fish, 1773. A Letter on the Decrees, 1773. A History of 
the Baptists, vol. L, 1777. Government and Liberty described, 1778. A 
Piece upon Baptism, 1779. True Policy requires Equal Religious Liberty, 

1779. An Appeal to the People of Massachusetts against Arbitrary Power, 

1780. Truth is Great, and will Prevail, 1781. The Doctrine of Universal 

27 



314 DILIGENT AS A MINISTER. 

pamphlets, would make not less than eight volumes equal 
in size to this memoir; and the addition of his unpub- 
lished memoranda and correspondence, would more than 
double that number. And although he sought perspi- 
cuity and accuracy of statement, rather than elegance 
or force of expression, so that the mere work of com- 
position was less with him than it is with many, it must 
nevertheless be granted, that he performed a great amount 
of labor with the pen. This was his constant companion 
at home and abroad ; and a considerable part of his time 
for thirty years, was spent in arranging the facts or prin- 
ciples which he had obtained, and transfening them to 
paper. 

If, now, we add to all this his labors in the pulpit, 
and his visits from house to house, among the people of 
his charge, some idea may be formed of his diligence. 
He was obedient to the apostolic charge, "Preach the 
word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, re- 
buke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." He 
preached on an average, during a considerable part of 
his ministry, about three hundred sermons each year. 
He visited the sick; administered consolation to the 
bereaved; restored the wandering; and conversed with 

Salvation examined and refuted, 1782. A Door opened for Christian 
Liberty, 1783. A History of the Baptists, vol. II., 1784. Godliness ex- 
cludes Slavery, in answer to John Cleaveland, 1785. The Testimony of 
the Two Witnesses, 1786. An Address to New England, 1787. An 
Answer to Remmele on the Atonement, 1787. A Piece on Discipline, 
1787. An Answer to Wesley on Election and Perseverance, 1789. On 
the Support of Gospel Ministers, 1790. An Essay on the Kingdom of 
God, 1792. A History of the Baptists, vol. III., 1796. A Second Edition 
of his Sermon on the Death of his Mother; to which was added, A Short 
Account of his Wife, who died in 1800. Published 1803. An Abridg- 
ment of the Church Histoiy of New England, 1804. A Great Faith de- 
scribed, 180.3. 



I 



GOOD SENSE. 315 

the young at their homes, by the way-side, and in the 
paths of the fields, telling them of Christ, and urging 
them to flee from the wrath to come. He was an econo- 
mist of time ; was ever about his Master's business ; and 
was therefore of greater service to mankind than many 
a pastor of more shining talents. 

Mr. Backus was also a man of sterling sense. Nothing 
is more evident, from a study of his life, than that he 
was esteemed a wise counsellor. No man, of his genera- 
tion, appears to have been oftener called to give advice 
in the settlement of difficulties, the gathering of churches, 
or the ordination of ministers. He possessed little im- 
agination, and no fancy; but his habits of observation 
were careful, his memory was retentive, his love of right 
was strong, and the decisions of his understanding were 
clear and just. So far, at least, as we can ascertain from 
existing records, the confidence felt by his brethren in 
the soundness of his judgment, and in his practical wis- 
dom, was not misplaced. 

His good sense was no less conspicuous in the estimate 
which he formed of different writers, and the remarks 
which he made on their chief productions. Rarely, in- 
deed, if ever, does he refer to an author's style ; a silence 
which doubtless sprang from two sources, — a want of 
interest in this matter, as compared with the principles 
advocated, and a feeling of incompetency to undertake 
the work of literary criticism ; but he often reviews the 
sentiments and arguments of a writer, sometimes for the 
purpose of commending them, and at others for the pur- 
pose of condemning and refuting them. He Avas a par- 
ticular admirer of Jonathan Edwards, a man Avhose intel- 
lectual and spiritual vision has not perliaps been equalled 
since the apostolic age. He speaks of liini as " our excel- 



31G A '' LOWLY," AND A LEARNED, MINISTRY. 

lent Edwards," " one of the best men in our land," " an 
eminent minister," and the author of "an incomparable 
treatise on the liberty of the will," " which opened its true 
nature beyond anything that ever was jDublished in latter 
ages." The estimate which he put upon the waitings of 
other eminent theologians was just and discriminating. 
This might indeed have been expected ; for one who could 
assign to Jonathan Edwards his true place among his con- 
temporaries, would not be likely to fail in his judgment of 
others. 

But was not Mr. Backus ojDposed to an educated min- 
istry? Did he not call in question the importance of 
liberal study, to prepare one for the work of j^reaching 
Christ? Was not his mind warped at this point by preju- 
dice, and blind, in a measure, to the advantages of learn- 
ing? Did he not even cherish a fanatical opinion as to 
the direct assistance which a minister of Christ is author- 
ized to expect from the Holy Ghost, in conceiving and 
delivering his message ? In reply to these questions, it is 
to be admitted that he sometimes uses very strong lan- 
guage in favor of " lowly i^reaching," and perhaps equally 
strong language in disparagement of the "learned minis- 
try " of his own day. But it is to be remembered, at the 
same time, that the unlearned ministers of that period 
were generally men of deep piety, who felt themselves to 
be called by the Spirit and providence of God, to preach 
his Word, while many of the educated clergy had, or were 
thought to have, scarcely any other qualification for their 
work but learning. Between an unlearned believer and a 
learned unbeliever, Mr. Backus could not hesitate; the 
former might be called of God to serve in the ministry of 
reconciliation, the latter could not have received that 
divine call ; the former might teach the essentials of chris- 



I 



BACKUS A FRIEND OF EDUCATION. 317 

tian truth, and plead with lost men to believe in Christ ; 
the latter were strangers to renewing grace, and must 
preach an " unfelt religion," or none at all. 

But Mr. Backus was nevertheless a friend to ministerial 
education. He cherished a lively interest, from the first, 
in Brown University. He was, for many years, a trustee 
of the education fund, which was established for the pur- 
pose of aiding pious but indigent young men in preparing 
for the ministry. In his reply to Mr. Fish, he was careM 
to justify the Separates from the charge of despising learn- 
ing, and as a Baptist, he was no less careful to recognize 
the value of liberal culture to the minister of Jesus. He 
rejoiced in the munificent donations of Hollis to Harvard 
College, and regretted that his brethren were so generally 
prevented, by the spirit of the standing order, from send- 
ing their sons to that school. And he distinctly specifies 
learning as a desirable qualification for the ministry. To 
answer the inquiry, " Who are the true preachers of the 
gospel?" he says: "In thej^r^i^ place, they are all taught 
of God^ without which no man can come to his Son. If 
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 
Without it he is not a Christian, but a blind leader of the 
blind. In the second place, all true ministers of Christ 
receive special gifts from him, for the great work to which 
they are called. A good natural capacity for teaching, and 
human learning and accomi^lishments, especially a good 
acquaintance with language, and with the best methods of 
conveying our ideas to others, are of great importance in 
these affairs." ^ 

But he lived in an evil day, when learning was made, 
by some, the only indispensable qualification for the min- 
istry; and this error was, in his opinion, so radical, so 

1 Backus, On the Support of Gospel Ministers, p. G. 

27* 



818 manning's a^iews of a godless ministry. 

exactly opposed to the will of Christ, that he could not 
too frequently or too earnestly assail it. His feelings on 
this subject may have been deeper than those of his 
brethren, who had enjoyed the benefits of classical study, 
but his judgment was at one with theirs. Said President 
Manning, in an address to the graduates of Rhode Island 
College, September 2, 1789, " Should the christian minis- 
try Avith any of you become an object, reflect on the 
absurdity of intruding into it while strangers to experi- 
mental religion. See that yourselves have been taught of 
God, before you attempt to teach godliness to others. To 
place in the professional chairs of our universities the most 
illiterate of mankind, would be an absurdity by far less 
glaring, than to call an unconverted man to exercise the 
ministerial function. This is to expose our holy religion 
to the scoffs of infidels, and to furnish to their hands the 
most deadly weapons. I omit to insist on the account 
such must render in the great tremendous day ! " We 
recollect no stronger protest than this in the writings of 
Mr. Backus, and submit the opinion that his usual good 
sense did not desert him on the subject of ministerial 
education. 

It has also been said, we are informed, that Mr. Backus 
gave his influence against the payment of salaries to min- 
isters; and his course in this matter has been deplored as 
unwise and disastrous. In reply to this charge, it may be 
well to cite his own words. " Again, Paul's foregoing his 
right of temporal communications from some of his hear- 
ers, for particular reasons that he gives, 1 Cor. ix., some 
have imi^roved, as an argument, that hearers are under no 
obligation to communicate to any on account of their 
teaching, but only on account of poverty ; and if they are 
not poor, then not at all; though there is not a plainer 



SUPPORT OF MINISTERS. 319 

command in the Bible for ministers to preach the gospel, 
than there is for " him that is taught in the "Word to com- 
municate unto him that teacheth in all good things.'^ I 
trust it has been sufficiently proved, that the authority of 
King George does not extend to this case ; but shall that 
make us to disregard the authority of King Jesus ? " ^ So, 
in another work, " As the gospel is a pure revelation from 
God, living of the gospel cannot mean a living by the laws 
of men, enforced by the sword. ISTeither can it mean that 
the bodies of ministers should live upon spiritual food. 
To communicate unto them in all good things^ cannot 
mean only good words and fair speeches ^' neither can a 
reward for labor mean alms to the poor. Yet the world is 
full of these absurd imaginations." ^ 

" The church is the only house of God upon earth ; and 
it should ever be governed wholly by the revealed will of 
God. And in all expenses, both to the poor and to sup- 
port gospel ministers, we should communicate /r^e/y, out 
of love to the Son of God, who, though he was rich, yet 
for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty 
might be rich. And there ought to be an equality in the 
church, as there was in the church of Israel, when they 
knew that their bread came from heaven every day."^ 
Again, "It is real robbery to neglect the ordinances of 
God, as it is to force people to support teachers who will 
not trust his influence for a temporal living. * * * * Let 
the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double 
honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine ; 
for the laborer is worthy of his reward. Honesty requires 
a reward for labor, as much as charity does alms for the 

1 Gal. 6:6. 2 Reply to Fish, p. 77. 

3 ''The Liberal Support of Gospel Ministers opened and inculcated," pp. 
10, 11, 34, 35. 



320 PIETY OF BACKUS. 

poor ; and it is Babylonian confusion to hold them to be 
one and the same thing." ^ 

Mr. Backus was also distinguished for earnest piety. 
This was the crowning excellence of his character, the 
source of his energy and his influence. To those who 
knew him best he appeared to be a man of God, holding 
daily communion with the Father of lights, a servant of 
Christ, working ever as "in the eye of his great Task- 
master." 

To be more specific, his piety was evinced by his prayer- 
fulness. Not only did he perform with regularity and 
solemnity the duty of praying in his family, but so far as 
we can learn, he was equally faithful in the closet. Our 
readers have doubtless been reminded of this by many of 
the extracts which have been made from his journal in the 
preceding narrative. He was accustomed to ask counsel 
of God, not only when about to enter upon new and great 
enterprises, but also when making his j^lans for the ordi- 
nary business of life. He seemed to bear in mind con- 
tinually the words of Jesus : " Without me, ye can do 
nothing." And many times he felt himself to be guided 
in his course by the special influences of the Holy Spirit. 
It is not therefore surprising that his prayers in public 
were earnest and appropriate. Says one who is still liv- 
ing : " I have often heard that good man pray. The effi- 
cacy of his prayers did not consist in length, nor gaudy 
dress; but it seemed that he and his God loved one 
another, and that he was at home before the throne of 
grace." 

His piety was also eviifced by a reverent and successful 
study of the Scriptures. For only the renewed heart is 

1 " The Liberal Support of Gospel Ministers opened and inculcated," pp. 
10, 11, 32, 35. 



HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE. 321 

completely docile and childlike, ready in all things to be 
taught of God. Mr. Backus was prepared to understand 
the Sacred Record by a rich experience of divine grace. 
The work of the law in revealing sin and slaying the trans- 
gressor had been prolonged and thorough in his heart, so 
that when the cross appeared and deliverance came, the 
change was like that of passing from darkness to light. 
"Everywhere," says Augustine, "the greater joy is ushered 
in by the greater pain." Speaking of himself in the third 
person, Mr. Backus thus describes his conversion : " In 
May, 1741, his eyes were opened to see that time was not 
at his command, and that eternity was directly before him, 
into which he might justly be called the next moment. 
Then he knew what it was io work for his life for three 
months ; until, on August 24th, as he was alone in the 
field, it was demonstrated to his mind and conscience, that 
he had done his utmost to make himself better, without 
obtaining any such thing ; but that he was a guilty sinner^ 
in the hands of a holy God^ who had a right to do with 
him as seemed good in his sight." No wonder that such 
a " law-work " as this was followed by a view of divine 
justice, shining with lustre, in the bestowment of free 
mercy! nor that God's glory engaged his attention, the 
burden of his guilt rolling off ! nor that he was able 
thenceforth to comprehend the reasoning of Paul, and 
behold the cross of Christ, radiant with light and hope for 
lost men ! Such an experience seems, at times, an almost 
divine interpreter of the gospel. It clears one's spiritual 
vision, and places him at the right point of observation to 
see the King in his beauty. Hence, while we believe tliat 
a knowledge of the original text would have been of great 
service to such a man as Backus, in preventing minor mis- 
takes;, and disclosing more fully the riches of living truth 



322 PIETY IN SOCIAL INTERCOURSE!. 

in God's Word, we would, nevertheless, with sincere grat- 
itude, make mention of the divine goodness, as displayed 
in giving him a sound mind, and training that mind in the 
school of experience. 

Again, his earnest piety revealed itself in social inter- 
course. He loved to converse with the friends of Christ, 
and especially upon experimental religion. He was in the 
habit of ascertaining, if possible, the spiritual condition of 
those whom he met at home or abroad. His journal 
alludes, very often, to conversations, even with strangers, 
on the subject of personal piety, and contains, no less 
frequently, notices of men, which presuppose a knowledge 
of their religious history, obtained from themselves. In 
one place, we read as follows : "January 10, 1790. Elder 
Robinson and James Maxcy, A. M., a tutor in Providence 
College, came here last night. Maxcy gives a clear ac- 
count of how he was converted, on the twenty-first of 
last October, after no more than eleven days* conviction. 
When he was alone in his chamber, under a clear sense of 
the justice of God in his condemnation, such light and 
love shone into his soul, as struck his body to the floor, 
and he cried out, ' Glory, glory to God for his free love ! ' 
He was soon after baptized by elder Manning, and now 
talks excellently."^ And pages might readily be filled 
with similar memoranda from his various papers. 

His fervent piety revealed itself likewise in the pulpit. 
It was the chief source of his power over an audience. 
Men were convinced that he "did not preach an unfelt 
religion," and when he testified of the grace of God, and 
warned them, in the name of Christ, to flee from the wrath 
to come, his message made its way to the heart and con- 
science. Owing to a lack of mental discipline in early 

1 See Appendix G. 



CHARACTER OF BACKUS'S SERMONS, 323 

life, and to the habit of preaching, oftentimes, without 
careful preparation, he never became an able sermonizer ; 
— never excelled in the orderly and logical presentation 
of truth, and rarely unfolded, in his discourses, the relation, 
coherence and harmony of the various doctrines which he 
taught. Nor did he rivet attention by vividness of de- 
scription, beauty of language, or sweetness of voice. All 
these were wanting. It could never have been said to 
him, with literal propriety, " Lo, thou art unto them as a 
very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can 
play well on an instrument." And if, in the absence of 
all these qualities in his preaching, he was able to interest 
and persuade those whom he addressed, there is but one 
explanation of the fact. They saw that he was speaking 
from the heart ; they felt that he was bearing witness for 
God ; they perceived the impulses of a divine life in the 
simplicity, solemnity and fervor of his appeals ; they re- 
cognized the ambassador of a king when he repeated the 
words of his master. This was the secret of his useful- 
ness in the pulpit. 

Again, his piety revealed itself in a firm adhesion to 
principle. No apprehension of loss, of reproach, or of 
danger, caused him to swerve from the path of duty. To 
all these he was exposed ; his character was traduced, his 
property was seized, and his life was threatened ; yet he 
obeyed the voice of conscience without the slightest appa- 
rent hesitation, and remained firm even when others wav- 
ered. He seems to have lived with a felt assurance that 
God is higher than the highest, and that he presides over 
the affairs of time. And however strange the statement 
may appear to some of the present age, his political opin- 
ions were matured in the closet and often reviewed at the 
throne of grace. He took part with the colonies in their 



324 , PIETY EVINCED BY CHARITY. 

separation from the British crown, because, '' in his nearest 
approaches to Gocl," he found them to be right. He ob- 
tained strength to persevere in his protracted and disheart- 
ening labors for soul-liberty, by remembering that it was 
the cause of his master which he advocated, and by seek- 
ing help from that master. " O brethren," said he, in one 
of his circulars on the subject of religious oppression, "face 
them down boldly upon this point, and they cannot stand. 
And the best way to attain and enjoy true boldness herein, 
is a near approach to God through Jesus Christ, and a 
faithful discharge of all the duties of our several stations 
and relations according to his direction." 

Moreover, his piety was e^dnced by a true charity. 
Though he strenuously opposed the errors of his time, his 
productions are fi-ee from bitterness and railing. The 
sharpest language which he employs seems to us but the 
utterance of a just indignation. His writings contain no 
bitter taunts, mahcious disclosures or dark insinuations. 
He was a frank and fair opponent, as prompt to coiTcct a 
mistake of his own as to insist upon justice from others. 
He was averse to oral discussions, because of their ten- 
dency to inflame partisan zeal and call forth intemperate 
language. Once only, so far as we can learn, did he en- 
gage in a public debate, after becoming a Baptist; and 
then he took the place of another, who was necessaiily 
absent.^ More than this, he was a lover of good men, 
whatever might be their denominational affinities. He 

1 Among the arguments used by his opponent in favor of infant bap- 
tism, was the gender of the noun 7eKvois, children, in Acts 2: 39.. "For 
this being a neuter noun," he said, " must signify infants, since these are 
more like inanimate objects, than children of a larger growth." We trust 
this ingenious argument will not be suffered to perish; though it inclines 
a little toward the development theory, and reminds one of the " Yestiges 
of Creation." 



THE PEERS OF BACKUS. 325 

honored the piety of those from whom he differed widely 
in belief. Evidence of love to Christ was a sure passport 
to his affection. He may have cherished a special attach- 
ment to those of his own communion ; for they were in a 
peculiar sense his brethren and companions in tribulation 
as well as in the kingdom and patience of Christ ; but his 
charity was comprehensive enough to embrace all whose 
hearts had been renewed by the grace of God. He sur- 
rendered with great reluctance his belief that Baptists and 
Pedobaptists could "build together" harmoniously as a 
church, and to the end of life he retained a particular re- 
gard for many of the New-Lights who defended infant 
baptism. 

It was these qualities — remarkable diligence, sterling 
sense, and ardent piety — which made Mr. Backus the 
friend and peer of James Manning and Hezekiah Smith, 
John Davis and William Rogers, Samuel Stillman and 
Thomas Baldwin, Stephen Gano and Jonathan Maxcy; 
men of singular ability and worth, raised up by the provi- 
dence of God to accomplish a great work ; men who would 
have been distinguished in any age or nation ; men who 
were all nobly endowed by their Creator, and who enjoyed 
for the most part the advantages of liberal study in early 
life. To say that the subject of this narrative, without 
the aid of genius or learning or position, was yet the equal 
of such men in substantial worth, and stood side by side 
with them in council and in effort, is, we believe, no more 
than his just praise. He sympathized with their highest 
aims and shared in their gravest deliberations. He Avas 
not a whit behind the chiefest of them in courage, integ- 
rity, enterprise, liberality and devotion to Christ. He was 
at once conservative and progressive, a friend of order and 
a friend of zeal, maintaining the importance of creeds and 
28 



326 FINAL ESTIMATE. 

the necessity of free investigation, and believing in human 
agency, though not at the expense of the Divine sov- 
ereignty. 

And when we consider the length of his ministry, the 
amount and timeliness of his labors, and the whole influ- 
ence of his life-work upon the character and progress of 
the Baptist denomination in New England, as well as less 
directly upon other denominations, it is impossible for us 
to hesitate in assigning him a high place among those ser- 
vants whom the King of Zion has delighted to honor. He 
came to the grave in hoary age, as the sheaf is gathered 
in, in its season ; and the record of his life will serve, we 
trust, to encourage not only his successors in the ministry 
of reconciliation, but all the friends of Christ who may 
peruse it as well. 



I 



APPEl^DIXES. 



APPENDIX A. 



OPPRESSION IN STURBRIDGE. 

From the testimony of Henry Fisk we learn that a New-Light 
Church was organized in Sturbridge on the tenth of November, 
1747. The next year John Blunt was ordained pastor. A petition 
to be exempted from taxes to support the " regular minister," was 
laid before the town by the members of this church, but their re- 
quest was denied. On the twenty-sixth of May, 1748, "a great 
part of the town got together, and laying hold of two brethren that 
came from other places, drew them in a hostile manner out of town. 
About this time some others were seized for rates, paid them pri- 
vately, and were set at liberty. As they went on to rate us from 
year to year, contrary to the royal act of indulgence, and the Prov- 
ince laws, * * * they stripped the pewter from the shelves of 
such as had it ; and they took away skillets, kettles, pots, and warm- 
ing-pans, from those who had it not. Others they deprived of the 
means by which they got their bread : namely, workmen's tools and 
spinning wheels. They drove away geese and swine from the doors 
of others. From some that had cows they took one or more of 
them ; from some that had but one, they took that away. They 
took a yoke of oxen from one ; and they thrust some into prison, 
where they suffered a long and tedious imprisonment. One brother 
was called from us, was ordained pastor of a Baptist church, and 
came for his family ; at which time they seized and drew him away, 
and thrust him into prison, where he was kept in the cold winter, 
till somebody paid the money and let him out." 

28* 



330 APPENDIX A. 

We add a few specifications condensed from the records of tlie 
church, kept by Henry Fisk, clerk. In 1750 a spinning wheel was 
taken from A. Bloice, five pewter plates from D. Fisk, a cow from 
J. Pike, a trammel, andirons, shovel and tongs, from John Blunt, a 
cradle from J. Perry, goods from John Streeter, household goods 
from Benjamin Robins, and also from H. Fisk, a cow from David 
Morse, goods from Phineas Collar, and from John Newell; and 
during the same year, John Corey, J. Barstow, Josiah Perry, Na- 
thaniel Smith, and David Morse, were imprisoned for ministerial 
rates. 

The next year, a steer was taken from J. Perry, goods from John 
Streeter, a cow from H. Fisk, a cow from Josiah Perry, a yoke of 
oxen from David Morse, goods from Phineas Collar, and also from 
John Newell, and carpenters' tools from Benj. Bobins ; and the 
same year A. Bloice and John Blunt were imprisoned. 

In 1753, the town petitioned the General Court, by its agent. Col. 
Moses Marcy, that all the unimproved land in Sturbridge might be 
taxed to support the minister. This called forth an eloquent remon- 
strance from the Baptists ; from which we copy the following sen- 
tences ; 

" The people called Baptists, may it please your Excellency and 
Honors, have no objection in the world against just taxes, operating 
from a legal origin, for the necessary and honorable support and de- 
fence of the civil government, or to paying our equal proportion of 
the Province, County, and Town taxes. [To do this] for the ra- 
tional and virtuous purposes aforesaid is a part of our religion ; as 
also, cheerfully to support His Majesty's government of this Prov- 
ince, with affluent hearts and ready hands, is part of our political 
creed. But on the contrary side, — to be harassed, insulted, impov- 
erished, and imprisoned, as several of the people called Baptists 
have been since your Excellency's embarkation home to England, 
for their refusal to pay ministerial rates, we look upon and feel to be 
sorely galling and oppressive. No less than five of our brethren of 
the town of Sturbridge, have for the ministerial rate, been forced 
away from their respective families, and committed to Worcester 



APPENDIX A. 331 

jail, twenty miles distant from their fiabitatYons. Moreover and ex- 
clusive of these imprisonments, and the damages therefrom arising, 
the losses, costs, and damages, which the said people of the Baptist 
persuasion in said Sturbridge have sustained in and about four years 
past, amount to upwards of eight hundred and fifty pounds of the old 
tenor, so called ; and all originating from the ministerial tax. These 
pressures, oppressions, and afflictions, bend and bow us down 
greatly, causing the oppressed to cry, as we now do, humbly and 
imploringly, that your Excellency and this Honorable Court would 
be pleased to take our distressed condition into due consideration, 
that so we may not be given up for a prey to our oppressors, and, — 
instead of having our lands subjected to a fresh, additional, ministe- 
rial tax, as prayed for by the said Moses Marcy, in his petition 
afore referred to, and of which we cannot in conscience pay one 
farthing, — that your complainants, the said people called Baptists, 
freeholders and residents in Sturbridge aforesaid, may have their 
heavy burdens unloosed, their grievances redressed, and that no 
ministerial rates or tax., in any shape whatever, may ever hereafter 
operate against them. And your Memorialists and Respondents 
will ever pray. Henry Fisk, 

Jonathan Perry," etc. 

At the suggestion of a friend, we subjoin the names of the mem- 
bers of the several Councils at Titicut, described in chapter Vni. 
These Councils were all held by New-Light Churches. 

First Council at Titicut, Oct. 2, 1751. 
From Canterbury — Solomon Paine and Joseph Cleaveland. 
" Plainfield — Thomas Stevens^ Jr.^ and Peter Mellen. 
" Norwich — Jedediah Hide and John Burchard. 

" Providence — Barzillai Richmond. 

" Cambridge — Nathaniel Draper and James Perry. 

Second Council at Titicut, May 27, 1752. 
From Beech Woods — James Mead and Dea. Wm. Smith. 
" Rehoboth — Samuel Peclc, 
" Coventry — Samuel Drown. 



332 APPENDIX A. 

The separate churches in Canterbury, Plainfield, Providence, and 
Beech Woods, (Middleboro',) were invited to join in this Council ; 
but messengers from the last church only appeared. Elders Peck 
and Drown were invited to sit and act with the Council, and did so. 

Third Council at Titicut, Nov. 1, 1752. 
From Canterbury — Solomon Paine. 
'* Plainfield — Thomas Stevens^ Jr.^ Joseph Warren, and Dea. 
Simon Spaulding. 

From Providence — Joseph Snow, Benjamin Cushing, and Bar- 
zillai Richmond. 

Alexander Miller, pastor of a church in Voluntown, was present, 
and was their scribe. 

Fourth Council in Titicut, Jan. 31, 1753. 
From Exeter — David Sprague, 

" Westerly — Stephen Bdbcock, 

" Warwick — Peter Werden. 

" Stonington — Weight Palmer, 

" Providence — Joseph Snow. 

" Norton — William Carpenter, 

" Kehoboth — Samuel Peck, 

" Coventry — Samuel Drown, 

" Brookline — Jonathan Hide, 

" Cambridge — Nathaniel Draper, 

" Attleboro' — Joshua Everett, 
The first four of these held to believers' baptism. 

Fifth Council in Titicut, July 11, 1753. 
From Exeter — David Sprague. 
" Rehoboth — Samuel Peck and John Pierce. 
" Warwick — Peter Werden, 
" Norton — William Carpenter, 

We add the following citation of churches to the second meetinor 

at Exeter : 

" Westerly, Kings County, Colony of R. I. 

" Stephen Babcock, pastor of the church of Christ Jesus in Ston- 
ington and Westerly, in union ; To the united churches scattered 



APPENDIX A. 833 

abroad in New England, grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied 
amongst you. Great and manifold are the favors of Almigbty God 
to us, in these goings down of the sun, in reviving his ancient work 
of convicting and converting souls, and calling us from vain conver- 
sation and all false worship, to follow our ever glorious Lord and 
Master, Jesus Christ, in the regeneration ; at whose command we 
have separated from carnal churches, etc. And amongst all the 
Divine favors and mercies we have been favored with, gospel fellow- 
ship is not the least ; here the wolf and lamb lie down together ; 
here the circumcised and uncircumcised meet together ; here all de- 
nominations, that are sound in principles, may meet and commune 
together. In very -deed all heaven is contained in divine fellowship. 
Amen. 

At the request of fifteen of the united churches in the Exeter 
Association, I send forth this Citation that you meet together at 
Exeter, on the second Tuesday of September, 1 754, by two or more 
of your representatives, to consult the affairs of Christ's kingdom, 
and to see what further may be done relating to the settlement be- 
tween the two denominations, viz.. Baptists and Congregation alists, 
and to consult all other matters that may be to God's glory, the ad- 
vancement of his kingdom in the world, and the good of the united 
churches : Amen. Into whose hands this citation shall come, you 
are hereby desired to send a copy, signed by your elder or clerk, to 
all the neighboring churches, and also to all christian churches that 
have a desire to be enrolled in said Convention ; farewell. Jeru- 
salem is builded as a city that is compact together. Peace be within 
thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren, my 
companions' sakes I will say. Peace be within thee, amen and amen. 

Yours, but not my own, 

Stephen Babcock." 
March 25th dav, 1754. 



APPENDIX B. 



THE CONFESSION OF FAITH AND COVENANT 

PREPARED BY THE REV. ISAAC BACKUS, AND ADOPTED BY THE FIRST 

BAPTIST CHURCH IN MIDDLEBOROUGH, AT ITS 

ORGANIZATION, JANUARY 16, 1756. 

ARTICLES OF FAITH. 



1. We Believe that there is but Oxe only, the living and 
true God, who is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his 
Being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. Deut. 
6: John 4: 24, Psal. 147: 5, and 90: 2, Jam. 1: 17, Isa. 40: 28, 
Jerem. 10 : 10, Isa. 6 : 3, Exod. 34 : 6, 7. 

2. That there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost, who are but one God, the same in substance, equal 
in power and glory, 1 John 5 : 7, Phil. 2:6, Acts 5 : 3, 4. 

3. That the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, are 
the Word of God, which he hath given, as our only perfect rule of 
faith and practice. Acts 20: 32, 2 Tim. 3 : 15, 16, 17. 

4. That God who is infinite in knowledge, and perfectly views all 
things from the beginning to the end of time, hath fore-ordained that 
whatsoever comes to pass, either by his order or permission, shall 
work for the eternal glory of his great Name. Acts 15 : 18, Eom. 
9: 17—23, Acts 2: 23, Psal. 76 : 10. 

5. In the beginning, God created heaven and earth, and the sea, 
and all that in them is, — and he upholds and governs all things by 
the word of his power. Exod. 20 : 11, Heb. 1 : 3, Dan. 4 : 35. 



APPENDIX B. 335 

6. That God made man in his own image, in knowledge, rio-ht- 
eousness and true holiness ; and made with him a covenant of life, 
the condition whereof was perfect obedience. Gen. 1 : 26, 27, and 
2: 16, 17, Galat. 3: 10. 

7. Man, being left to himself, soon fell from that happy and glo- 
rious estate in which he was made, by eating the forbidden fruit, 
whereby he brought himself and all his posterity into a state of 
death. Gen. 3: 6, Rom. 5: 12, 19. 

8. Man being thus dead, his help and recovery Is wholly In and 
from God. Hosea 13:9, Ephe. 2 : 8, John 6 : 44. 

9. God the Father, of his mere good pleasure from all eternity, 
hath chosen a number of poor lost men, in Christ Jesus, to eternal 
salvation. Rom, 8 : 29, 30, Ephe. 1 : 4, 5. 

10. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, hath come and taken on 
him human nature ; and in that nature hath yielded a perfect obedi- 
ence to the laws that we have broken, and suffered death for our 
^ins, and hath brought in a complete and everlasting righteousness ; 
and hath risen and ascended to the right hand of God, and ever 
hveth to make intercession for us. Heb. 10: 6 — 10, Dan. 9: 24, 
Heb. 7 : 25. 

11. The Holy Ghost, and he only, can and doth make a particular 
application of the redemption purchased by Christ, to every elect 
soul. John 3 : 5 and 16 : 7—15. 

12. The Spirit of God applies this redemption by convincing us 
of our sinful, lost and miserable condition, and then discovering the 
glorious Saviour, as he is offered to us in the Gospel, in his suitable- 
ness and sufficiency, and enabling us to embrace him with our whole 
souls, whereby he is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctifica- 
tion and redemption. John 16:8 and 1 : 12, 1 Cor. 1 : 30. 

13. The life of religion consists in the knowledge of God, and con- 
formity to him in the inward man ; which necessarily produceth an 
external conformity to his law ; and brings us to live in obedience 
to his holy will, in all our ways, and In our several places and rela- 
tions. John 17: 3, Mat. 23: 26, Ephe. 2: 10, Tit. 2d Chap. 

14. True believers being united to Jesus Christ by faith, have 
communion with God ; and by his Spirit they are united to each 



336 APPENDIX B. 

other, and have communion one with another, whereby they are 
made partakers of eaxih others' gifts and graces. 1 John, 1:3, ExDm. 
1: 11, Phil. 1: 7. 

15. We beheve that the first day of the week, commonly called 
the Lord's day, is the Christian Sabbath. Mat. 28 : 1 — 6, John 20 : 
19, 26, Rev. 1 : 10, Heb. 4 : 8, 9, 10. 

16. That God hath appointed the ordinance of Civil Government 
for the defending of the poor as well as of the rich, in their civil 
rights and privileges ; and the work of the civil magistrate is, to 
punish moral evils, and to encourage moral virtue, without touching 
upon anything that infringes upon the conscience, or pretending to 
dictate and govern in the worship of the Eternal God ; which be- 
longs only to Jesus Christ, the great law-giver and head of his 
Church. Rom. 13 : 1—4, 1 Peter 2: 13, 14, 15, 1 Tim. 1 : 8, 9, 10, 
Mat. 23 : 8, 9, 10, Luke 22 : 25, 26, Isa. 33 : 20, 21, 22, Ephe. 1 : 22. 

17. We believe there will be a general resurrection both of the 
just and unjust; and that God hath appointed a day in which he 
will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ ; and will re- 
ward every man according to his works ; when the wicked shall be 
sent into everlasting punishment, and the righteous be received into 
life eternal. John 5 : 28, 29, Rom. 2 : 16, Mat. 16 : 27 and 25 : 46. 



PART II. 

CONCERNING CHURCH AFFAIRS. 

1. We Believe that a Visible Church of Christ is a 
number of his saints and people, by mutual acquaintance and com- 
munion, voluntarily and understandingly, covenanting and embody- 
ing together for the carrying on the worship and service of God. 1 
Pet. 2: 5, 1 Cor. 1 : 2, Acts 2: 42—47. 

2. That Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Christ, 
to be continued until his second comlnor ; and that the former is 
requisite to the latter, iJiat is to say^ that those are to be admitted into 
the communion of the Church, and to partake of all its ordinances, — 
who, upon profession of their faith, have been baptized by immer- 



APPENDIX B. 337 

sion* in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost. Mat. 28 : 19, 20, 1 Cor. 11 : 23, 26, Acts 2 : 41 and 9 : 18, 
26 and 8: 12, 36—39, Mat. 3 : 6, 16, Rom. 6 : 4, John 3 : 28. 

3. Since none but saints can rightly partake of these ordinances, 
therefore the door of the Church should be carefully kept at all 
times against all such as cannot give scriptural evidences of their 
union to Christ by faith. 1 Cor. 11; 27, 29, Mat. 7: 6, 15—20, 
Ezek. 44 : 7, 9, Isaiah 26 : 2. 

4. A church thus gathered, hath power to choose and ordain those 
officers that Christ hath appointed in his Church, namely : Bishops 
or Elders, and Deacons ; and also to depose such officers as evi- 
dently appear to walk contrary to the gospel, and to discipline their 
members ; though in some such cases it is convenient and profitable 
to request the advice of neighboring churches of Christ. Acts 1 : 
21—26 and 6 : 3, Num. 8 : 10, Mat. 18 : 15—18, Acts 15th chap. 

5. A Bishop or Elder hath no more power to decide any case or 
controversy in the Church, than any private brother ; yet they hav- 
ing superior gifts for teaching and ruling ought to exercise and im- 
prove the same for the benefit of the church, and the church ought to 
be subject to the gifts bestowed on the minister from the Lord, while 
he is rightly acting in his place ; — whose work is to lead in the act- 
ings of the church, and to administer the sacraments, and devote 
himself to the work of teaching, warning, rebuking and exhorting 
the people publicly, and from house to house. Mat. 20 : 25 — 28, 1 
Pet. 5 : 3, Mat. 28 : 19, Acts 20 : 20, 28, 31. 

6. The Deacon's office- work is, to take care of the poor, and to 
have the oversight of the temporal affairs of the Church, and to min- 
ister at the Lord's table. Acts 6 ; 1 — 4, 1 Tim. 3: 8—13. 

7. Every saint is commanded to be faithful, to improve every gift 
and talent that is bestowed on them; in order to which, there ought 

* " The place where Mr. Backus administered the ordinance of baptism when at 
home, was in a stream of water but a few rods from his dwelling. The stream 
has become so small and shallow, that a man who had nothing to judge from but 
its present size, might conclude that Mr. Backus could not have immersed there, 
but muat have sprinkled the candidates while he stood on the margin, or must 
have led them into the water ankle-deep^ and then sprinkled them."— Rev. Silas 
Hall. 

29 



338 APPENDIX B. 

to be such a gospel freedom that the church may know where e very- 
particular gift is, that it may be improved in its proper place, and to 
its right end ; even the glory of God, and the good of his people. 
And the Church ought to be subject to such improvements. E^m. 
13 : 5—8, 1 Peter 4: 10, 11, and 5 : 5. 

COVENANT. 

We do now in the presence of the great all-seeing and most glo- 
rious God, and before angels and men, give ourselves up to the 
Lord Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; and avouch Him this 
day, to be our God, our Father, our Saviour, and our Leader ; and 
receive him as our portion forever. We give up ourselves unto the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and adhere to him as the Head of his people in 
the covenant of grace ; and rely on him as our prophet, priest and 
king, to bring us to eternal blessedness. We acknowledge our ever- 
lasting and indispensable obligation to glorify our God, by living a 
holy, righteous and godly life, in this present world, in all our several 
places and relations. And we do engage, by the assistance of the 
Divine Spirit, to improve all our time and strength, talents and ad- 
vantages, for his glory, and the good of our fellow men ; promising 
by Divine help to walk in our house with a perfect heart ; and to 
train up those under our care in the ways of God. And we also 
give up ourselves to one another in covenant, promising to act 
towards each other as brethren in Christ; watching over one an- 
other in the love of God ; and to watch not only against those that 
are considered more gross e^dls, but also against all foolish talking 
and jesting which is not convenient; vain disputing about words and 
things which gender strife ; disregarding promises, and not fulfilhng 
engagements ; tattling and backbiting ; spending time idly at taverns 
or elsewhere ; and vain and unnecessary worldly conversation on 
the Lord's days ; and whatsoever else that is contrary to sound doc- 
tiine according to the glorious gospel of Christ ; promising to hold 
communion together in the worship of God, and in the ordinances 
and discipline of his church, according as we are, or shall be, guided 
by the Spirit of God in his word ; expecting that he will yet further 
and more gloriously open his word and the mysteries of his king- 



APPENDIX B* 339 

dom ; flying to the blood of tlie everlasting covenant for the pardon 
of our many errors, and praying that the Lord would prepare and 
strengthen us for every good work, to do his will, working in us that 
which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be 
glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

The following ministers of the Gospel have gone forth from the 
First Baptist Church in Middleboro', namely : James Mellen, Abner 
Lewis, Asa Hunt, Elijah Codding, Job Macomber, Samuel Nelson, 
David Leonard, Zenas Lockwood Leonard, Stephen Smith, Nelson 
Lewis Leonard, Silas Hall, Thomas Conant, George Leonard, Wil- 
liam Harrison Alden. Another, David Weston, has, we believe, 
commenced a course of study with a view to entering the ministry. 



APPENDIX C. 



SANDEMANIANISM. 



The design of this work has not led us to exHbit in detail the va- 
rious forms of error opposed by Mr. Backus. Indeed, most of them 
are but too well understood at the present time. But it has been 
suggested by a friend that the peculiar opinions of !Mr. Sandeman 
are not generally known, and ought therefore to be briefly stated. 
Mr. Backus charges Sandeman, and we think justly, with endeavor- 
ing to explode the following scriptural distinctions, namely : 

1. The distinction between doctrinal and experimental knowledge ; 
between right notions of truth in the Jiead and knowiiig them in the 
heart, 

2. The distinction between a slavish and a childlike fear. 

S. The distinction between believers and careless sinners ; or 
rather the recognition of any difference in addressing them upon re- 
ligious themes. 

"The foundation of whatever is distinguishing in the system," 
says Andrew Fuller, " seems to relate to the nature of justifying faith. 
This Mr. S. constantly represents as the hare belief of the hare truth ; 
by which definition he intends, as it would seem, to exclude from it 
everything pertaining to the will and the affections, except as effects 
produced by it. * Every one,' says he, ' who obtains a just notion 
of the person and work of Christ, or whose notion corresponds to 
what is testified of him, is justified, and finds peace with God, simply 
by that notion.' " It may be noticed still further, as an indication 
of the radical difference between the views of Mr. Sandeman and 



APPENDIX C. 341 

of evangelical Christians generally, that the writings of such men as 
Flavel, Boston, Guthrie, Doddridge, the Erskines, etc., are repre- 
sented by him as furnishing " a devout path to hell," and the writers 
themselves as Pharisees, " than whom no sinners were more hard- 
ened, and none greater destroyers of mankind." 

For further information we must refer the reader to Mr. Sande- 
man's " Letters on Theron and Aspasia," and to the works of An- 
drew Fuller, n. p. 561 sq. 

29* 



APPENDIX D. 



EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF THE WARREN ASSOCL 

ATION. 

The minutes of the first three meetings of the Warren Associ- 
ation, have never, we believe, been published ; but they still exist in 
manuscript among the papers of Mr. Backus. The Association will 
doubtless see to it that these minutes are printed in due time. 
Meanwhile we select from them two letters ; the first sent by the 
Philadelphia to the Warren Association, and the second, a circular 
letter written by President Manning. 

*' The Elders and Messengers of the several Baptist churches, met 
in Association at Philadelphia, the 14th, 15th, and 16 th days of Octo- 
ber, A. D. 1766: — To the Elders and Messengers of the several 
Baptist churches of the same faith and order, to meet in Association 
at Warren, in the colony of Rhode Island, the 18th day of Septem- 
ber, A. D. 1767; send greeting. Dearly Beloved Brethren : "WTien 
we understood that you had concluded to meet at the time and place 
above mentioned, with a view to lay the foundation stone of an As- 
sociational building, it gave us peculiar joy, in that it opened to our 
view a prospect of much good being done. You will perhaps judge 
this our address to you premature, because as yet you have only an 
ideal being, as a body by appointment. But if you should call this 
our forwardness blind zeal, we are still in hopes you will not forget 
that our embracing the first opportunity of commencing christian 
fellowship and acquaintance with you, affords the strongest evidence 



APPENDIX D. 343 

of our approbation of your present meeting, and how fond we 
should be of mutual correspondence between us in this way. 

"A long course of experience and observation has taught us to have 
the highest sense of the advantages which accrue from associations ; 
nor indeed does the nature or thing speak any other language. For 
as particular members are collected together and united in one body, 
which we call a particular church, to answer those ends and purposes 
which could not be accomplished by any single member, so a collec- 
tion and union of churches into one associational body, may easily 
be conceived capable of answering those still greater purposes, which 
any particular church could not be equal to. And by the same rea- 
son, a union of associations will still increase the body in weight and 
strength, and make it good, that a threefold cord is not easily 
broken. 

" Great, dear brethren, is the design of your meeting ; great is the 
work which lies before you* You will need the guidance and influ- 
ence of the Divine Spirit, as well as the exertion of all prudence 
and wisdom. It is therefore our most ardent prayer, that you may 
meet in love, that peace and unanimity may subsist among you dur- 
ing your consultations, that you may be animated with zeal for the 
glory of God, and directed to advise and determine what may most 
conduce to promote the Redeemer's kingdom. 

" From considering the divided state of our Baptist churches in 
your quarter, we foresee that difficulties may arise, such as may call 
for the exercise of the greatest tenderness and moderation, that if 
haply, through the blessing of God on your endeavors, those lesser 
differences may subside, and a more general union commence. 

" As touching our consultations at this our meeting, the minutes of 
our proceedings (a printed copy whereof we shall herewith enclose) 
will inform you ; and if in anything further you should be desirous 
of information with regard to us, we refer you to our reverend and 
beloved brethren, Morgan Edwards, John Sand, and Samuel Jones, 
who as our representative delegates will present you with tliis our 
letter, and whom we recommend to christian fellowship with you. 

*' And now, dear brethren, farewell. May the Lord bless and di- 
rect you in all things, and grant that we may all hereafter form one 



344 APPENDIXD. 

general assembly at his right hand, through infinite riches of free 
grace in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Signed by order and in behalf of the Association, by 

Benjamin IVIiller, Moderator. 

Samuel Jones, Clerk." 

CIRCULAR LETTER WRITTEN BY PRESIDENT MANNING. 

" The Elders and Messengers of several churches belonging to the 
Association, met in Warren, in the colony of E-hode Island, etc. 
To the several churches they represent, — Greeting. 

" Dear Brethren : We have had the pleasure of meeting your rep- 
resentatives at the Association, who in general have brought us good 
news from the churches. We rejoice to see that the Son of Man is 
pleased to walk in the midst of his golden candlesticks, the churches, 
to dispense his blessings to his people, and to attend the Word of the 
Kingdom with Divine power to the salvation of sinners. Come, help 
us to magnify the Lord for his unspeakable mercy and goodness. 
Yet we find that the enemies of truth are busily employed in en- 
deavoring to subvert it, and in vexing and oppressing those who 
stand up as advocates for the cause of God. Brethren, we sympa- 
thize with you under your afflictions, while we call to mind the de- 
claration of your ascended Head to his beloved flock whom he left 
behind : In the world ye shall have tribulation. Yet how refreshing 
is what follows : But he of good cheer ^ I have overcome the world. 
Those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall sujBTer persecution. Let 
not the powers of the world, who set themselves to oppose, discour- 
age you. Search for the mind of Christ in his Word ; which being 
discovered, pay a sacred regard thereto. Call no man master on 
earth ; and remember that the followers of Christ carry their cross 
in imitation of their Divine Master. Brethren, suffer us, however, 
to beseech you to use all proper means to obtain relief from the bur- 
dens imposed upon you, by taking heed to the general plan which 
we as a body propose to pursue. But while you attend to human 
means, let your cries be incessant to Him who hears and will redress 
the cries of the oppressed. Pray for those who despitefully use you. 
Kemember that love enters deeply into the spirit of our holy reli- 



APPENDIX D. 345 

gion ; and that tlie glorious Founder thereof has given us the most 
striking example of it, in loving and dying for his enemies. Walk 
soberly and inoffensively towards those without ; and let your con- 
duct prove that it is the power of truth, the force of conscience, that 
makes you Baptists, and not an affectation of singularity. And as 
you are persuaded that you have been taught by the Spirit of God, 
so let your light shine before others that you may win them to the 
truth. In the meantime, carefully guard against any designs to 
ensnare you, or to engage you in any combination with them that 
may eventually prove to the detriment of the cause. 

" Finally, may the Lord Jesus afford you his presence, and bless 
you with abundant increase in all grace, to the glory of his great 



APPENDIX E. 



PETITIONS mOM ASHTIELD. 

" To His Excellency, Francis Bernard, Esq., Captain General 
and Governor-in-Cliief in and over His Majesty's Province of 
Massachusetts Bay, in New England, and Vice- Admiral of the 
same ; and to His Honorable Council and House of Kepresentar 
tives: We whose names are underwritten present our humble 
Prayer to His Excellency and to your Honors, as follows : — 

We would inform His Excellency and your Honors, that one 
half of us settled in this town before the last war, (which was then 
called Huntstown,) and built a fort and defended ourselves three 
years' time, before we had any help by soldiers from Authority ; 
excepting ten men for ten days to gather our corn ; in which time 
we could do little else in the summer, but guard ourselves and scout 
in the woods to see if we could make discovery of the enemy, and 
thereby were some guard to the towns below us. After the war was 
over, we being of the persuasion that is called Ana-Baptist, pro- 
ceeded to settle ourselves in a church form, and to settle a minister, 
we then being by far the major part of the inhabitants of the town. 
He was ordained by the assistance of three neighboring ministers 
of the same constitution ; and we were about building a meeting- 
house, but were forced to desist by means of there settling in town 
a number of men of a contrary persuasion ; who, by the help of 
some few that were here before, and other proprietors, have by a 
major vote raised money to build another meeting-house which we 



APPENDIX E. 347 

have no privilege of, and settled another minister and given Mm a 
large settlement and salary, and compel us to pay our equal propor- 
tion with them ; so that even our own minister is compelled to pay 
theirs, or we for him. By reason of which oppression, together with 
the distresses of the war aforesaid, we are brought under distressful 
circumstances, which, we think, cry aloud for some pity to be shown 
to us. For we have our own minister to provide for according to 
our ability, and have yearly our money taken away from us, or our 
land sold at an out-cry to support their worship, so that we have 
already suffered extremely. And they have also voted £4, lawful 
money upon each right, to finish their meeting-house and to sup- 
port their minister, which if we are obliged to pay, we see nothing 
but that we, or many of us, must be turned out from our houses and 
lands. We pray therefore that His Excellency and your Honors 
would take our distressed case into your wise consideration, and 
free us and our lands from paying any more towards the mainten- 
ance of the minister, or finishing the meeting-house, of a society we 
do not belong unto ; — we being willing to pay our Province taxes 
and all others, except the above mentioned. So pray your humble 
petitioners and loyal subjects. 

N. B. There are upwards of ninety souls that attend our meeting 
on Lord's days. 

Dated Ashfield, May 24, 1 768. " 

Two years later they sent in another petition, in which, after nar- 
rating various futile attempts to obtain relief, they proceed as fol- 
lows : 

" Therefore our lands were set at public vendue and sold for a 
very small part of their value. They have sold mowing ground, 
winter grain, orcharding, one poor man's dwelling house, and our 
burying place. And all this for a rate which we cannot in con- 
science pay. So that we are not only deprived of liberty of 
conscience, which our most gracious Sovereign has granted us in 
common with others, his loyal subjects, (which we have a right to, in 
religion and reason,) but we are in a great measure disinherited, 
and are in a fair way to be turned naked into the wide world. 

" We humbly beg leave to say, these things are hard, very hanl. 



348 APPENDIX E. 

For if we may not settle and support a minister agreeable to our 
own conscience, where is liberty of conscience ? 

" And if we may be allowed that liberty — which is most reason- 
able, by what law, or with what equity, are we forced to pay for the 
settlement of another, with whom we cannot in conscience join ? 
or to build a meeting-house for a society that we do not belong to ? 
* * * YIq plead for nothing but liberty of conscience and 
charter privilege. We humbly pray your Honors to take these 
things into your wise consideration, and show some pity to your 
distressed petitioners, " etc. 



APPENDIX R 



JOHN ADAMS'S ACCOUNT OF THE PHILADELPHIA 
CONFERENCE. 

" Governor Hopkins and Governor Ward, of Ehode Island, came 
to our lodgings and said to us, that President Manning, of Rhode 
Island College, and Mr. Backus, of Massachusetts, were in town, 
and had conversed with some gentlemen in Philadelphia who wished 
to communicate to us a little business, and wished we would meet 
them at six in the evening at Carpenter's Hall. Whether they 
explained their affairs more particularly to any of my colleagues, I 
know not ; but I had no idea of the design. We all went at the 
hour, and to my great surprise found the hall almost full of people, 
and a great number of Quakers seated at the long table with their 
broad brimmed beavers on their heads. We were invited to scats 
among them, and informed that they had received complaints from 
some Anabaptists and some Friends in Massachusetts, against cer- 
tain laws of that province, restrictive of the liberty of conscience, 
and some instances were mentioned in the General Court, and in the 
courts of justice, in which Friends and Baptists had been grievously 
oppressed. I know not how my colleagues felt, but I own I was 
greatly surprised and somewhat indignant, being, like my friend 
Chase, of a temper naturally quick and warm, at seeing our Slate 
and her delegates thus summoned before a self-created tribunal, 
which was neither legal nor constitutional. 

"Israel Pemberton, a Quaker of large property and more intrlL]:no, 

30 



r350 APPENDIX F. 

began to speak, and said that Congress were here endeavoring to 
form a union of the Colonies ; but there were difficulties in the 
way, and none of more importance than liberty of conscience. The 
laws of New England, and particularly of Massachusetts, were in- 
consistent with it, for they not only compelled men to pay to the 
building of churches and support of ministers, but to go to some 
known religious assembly on first days, etc., and that he and his 
friends were desirous of engaging us to assure them that our State 
would repeal all those laws, and place things as they were in Penn- 
sylvania. 

" A suspicion instantly arose In my mind, which I have ever be- 
lieved to have been well founded, that this artful Jesuit, for I had 
been apprised before of his character, was endeavoring to avail him- 
self of this opportunity to break up the Congress, or at least to 
withdraw the Quakers and the governing part of Pennsylvania 
from us ; for, at that time, by means of a most unequal representa- 
tion, the Quakers had a majority in their House of Assembly, and, 
by consequence, the whole power of the State in their hands. I 
arose and spoke in answer to him. The substance of what I said, 
was, that we had no authority to bind our constituents to any such 
proposals ; that the laws of Massachusetts were the most mild and 
equitable establishment of religion that was known in the world ; 
if indeed they could be called an estabhshment ; that it would be in 
vain for us to enter into any conferences on such a subject, for we 
knew beforehand our constituents would disavow all we could do or 
say for the satisfaction of those who invited us to this meeting. 
That the people of Massachusetts were as religious and conscien- 
tious as the people of Pennsylvania; that their conscience dictated 
to them that it was their duty to support those laws, and therefore 
the very liberty of conscience, which Mr. Pemberton invoked, 
would demand indulgence for the tender consciences of the people 
of Massachusetts, and allow them to preserve their laws ; that it 
might be depended on, this was a point that could not be carried ; 
that I would not deceive them by insinuating the faintest hope, for 
I knew they might as well turn the heavenly bodies out of their 
annual and diurnal courses, as the people of Massachusetts at the 



APPENDIX F. 351 

present day from their meeting-house and Sunday laws. Pember- 
ton made no reply but this : * Oh ! sir, pray don't urge liberty of 
conscience in favor of such laws ! ' If I had but known the parti- 
cular complaints which were to be alleged, and if Pemberton had 
not broken irregularly into the midst of things, it might have been 
better, perhaps, to have postponed this declaration. However, the 
gentlemen proceeded and stated the particular cases of oppression, 
which were alleged in our general and executive courts. It hap- 
pened that Mr. Gushing and Mr. Samuel Adams had been present 
in the General Court when the petitions had been under deliberation, 
and they explained the whole so clearly that every reasonable man 
must have been satisfied. Mr. Paine and I had been concerned at 
the bar in every action in the executive courts which was com- 
plained of, and we explained them all to the entire satisfaction of 
impartial men, and showed that there had been no oppression or 
injustice in any of them. " In his diary Mr. Adams describes the 
affair thus : ^' In the evening we were invited to an interview, at Car- 
penter's Hall, with the Quakers and Anabaptists. Mr. Backus is 
come here from Middleborough with a design to apply to the Con- 
gress for a redress of grievances of the anti-pedobaptists in our 
Province. The cases from Chelmsford, the case of Mr. White of 
Haverhill, the case of Ashfield and Warwick were mentioned by 
Mr. Backus. Old Israel Pemberton was quite rude, and his rude- 
ness was resented ; but the conference, which held till eleven o'clock, 
I hope will produce good." 



APPENDIX G. 



DOCTRINAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH PRESIDENT 

MAXCY. 

" MiDDLEBORO', March 17, 1797. 

*' Dear Sir : — The near tionnection I have long had with the 
family from whence you sprang, my early acquaintance with your 
change of mind, the concern I had in introducing you into the 
ministry and into the office you now sustain in our College, have all 
laid me under strong obligations to seek your welfare and to watch 
against everything which may hurt your usefulness. But how to 
behave in these trying times, so as to be faithful and yet avoid all 
unnecessary controversy, hath been difficult for me to determine. 

"When you published your opinion about the first sin of Adam, 
in a funeral sermon for President Manning, my heart was grieved. 
Dr. Rogers soon wrote to me about it from Philadelphia ; but he 
afterwards informed me that when you were there, you satisfied 
him about it. And after you published your sermon on the first of 
Romans, Dr. Rippon wrote to me from London of a report which 
had reached there, that you had published a sermon upon universal 
salvation ; but I informed him to the contrary, though the discourse 
wanted some peculiarities of Christianity. Judge then, how it must 
have appeared to me, last September, to see not only a new edition 
of your first sermon but also a preface to it, in which you set up a 
Socinlan and a Universalist as high or higher in virtue than Presi- 
dent Edwards, — who is esteemed by Europe as well as America, 
one of the greatest Christians and divines which this age has pro- 
duced. "What may we next hear from England ? 



APPENDIX a. 353 

*' I should have written to you long before now, if I had been In 
possession of said sermon and preface ; but I have been almost con- 
fined for three months, and did not obtain them till last week. Be- 
fore this I saw your late discourse on the Atonement of Christ, which 
gave me fresh encouragement concerning you. I can therefore 
open my mind to you with hopes of real benefit to us both. This I 
could not do to Mr. Winchester, after I had discovered the use of 
known deceit in him. For on July 25, 1780, I heard him preach 
in Dr. Stillman's pulpit ; when he spoke expressly against the 
doctrine of universal salvation ; though he was soon after forced to 
own that he was then inclined to think it true, and he has informed 
the world so in the preface to the Boston edition of his dialogues, 
1795. * * * Had you known these things as I do, you would 
not have extolled his virtue as you have done in your late preface. 
But as I believe you to be a sincere friend, and as you own that you 
may be in an error'^bout the death which was threatened to Adam 
if he ate the forbidden fruit, I shall give you my reasons against 
your opinion. 

" You say ' the loss of life is the plain meaning of the word death.' 
(Preface, p. 4.). It is indeed so ; and the loss of life to the soul is 
as much the literal meaning of the word, as is the loss of life to the 
body. Yea, after Adam had died spiritually, God said : " Dust thou 
art, and unto dust thou shalt return," Gen. 3 : 19. His soul died in 
the day that he sinned, but his body did not, until about nine hun- 
dred years after. The truth of God, therefore, could not be main- 
tained by holding that It was only natural death which he intended, 
when He said : " In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely 
die. " Darkness, guilt, and confusion, which are spiritual death, 
came upon him that very day. Jer. 17 : 5, 6. Ro. 3 : 17. Is. 53 : 10. 
Matt. 26: 38 and 27, 46. 2 Cor 5: 21. Ileb. 10: 14. Though it 
was impossible for the Son of God to be made a sinner, yet he 
suffered more for us than any sinner can do in hell. He was made 
a curse for us, that we might receive the promise of the spirit 
through faith. Gal. 3 : 13, 14. * * * What you say In your 
sermon about the death that was threatened In the precept to Adam, 
was not a sudden thought, because you have published It a second 

30* 



354 APPENDIX G. 

time. Yet you hold that he died spiritually before God said, dust 
thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return, p. 16. Spiritual death 
was therefore threatened in the first precept, and natural death was 
the consequence which was declared afterwards. 

*' In the second place you suppose " losing existence" was the death 
that Adam was afraid of: and therefore, that this second declara- 
tion explains death as being the loss of natural life, and not of 
existence, p. 15 ; though this is only supposition and not a proof of 
the point. 

" Thirdly, you argue that threatening spiritual death could neither 
reform the sinner, deter others from sinning, nor satisfy Divine jus- 
tice — the great end of punishment, p. 17, 18. 

" Fourthly, you say : " The implication of spiritual death in the 
threatening would have rendered the punishment perfectly agree- 
able to Adam, after his transgression," p. 18, and you quote an 
author in the margin to prove it. Upon all which I would ob- 
serve : 

"1. If the fear of spiritual death could not deter Adam from sin- 
ning, no more could the fear of natural death ; since he knew no 
more what it was than he did of spiritual death. 

" 2. The law of God as given to man in innocency, was not 
designed to reform sinners, but to keep man from sinning, or to dis^ 
cover the justice of God in his condemnation. And no angel in 
heaven knew anything about the pardon and salvation of sinners, 
until God revealed it in the seed of the woman, whose heel was to 
be bruised. When Christ was born of a virgin, he was seen of 
angels, 1 Tim. 3:16. They saw more of God then than they ever 
did before. 

" 3. Spiritual death was so far from being agreeable to Adam, after 
it was inflicted upon him, that he said to God, *' I heard thy voice, 
and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself, " Gen. 3 : 
10. And this was before God said, ' Dust thou art, and unto dust 
shalt thou return.' Darkness, guilt, confusion, and the fear of fur- 
ther punishment, were what Adam felt ; and this was far from being 
agreeable to him or to his wife. 

" But fifthly, you say : " Had spiritual death been implied in th^ 



APPENDIX G. 355 

punisliment denounced against Adam, man's salvation on the pre- 
sent constitution of redemption could not have been effected," p. 1 0. 
This you argue from your opinion that spiritual death is bein^T a 
sinner, which Christ never was nor can be. But you ought to know, 
that God never threatened to make man a sinner, but to make him 
miserable, should he dare to sin. And Christ suffered more misery 
for man in a short time, than man can suffer to eternity. He said, 
^' My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. " And when he 
hung upon the cross, and darkness was over all the land, he cried, 
" My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?" Thus he " made 
his soul an offering for sin." '' He made him to be sin for us who 
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in 
him." " For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are 
sanctified. " They who are sanctified are set apart for God from 
eternity, are effectually called in time, and are kept by the power 
of God through faith unto eternal salvation. For as by one man's 
disobedience, many were made sinners ; so by the obedience of one, 
shall many be made righteous, Ro. 5:19. God did not make men 
sinners, but Adam made them so, by breaking the law of God ; and 
we cannot make ourselves righteous, but that is done wholly by the 
merits of Christ and by the influences of his spirit in his people. 
All men who spring from Adam by natural generation, are made 
sinners ; and all who are born again by the spirit of Christ, are made 
righteous in him. 

** But you pass over this chapter, and fix on another, which speaks 
of the coming of natural death by Adam, and of the resurrection of 
the body by the power of Christ. There it is said, " As in Adam 
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive," 1 Cor. 15: 22. 
Upon which you say: "These words make it evident that those 
made alive in Christ are as numerous as those subjected to death by 
Adam. Language cannot express this idea with more certainty. 
Those therefore, who believe that the death introduced by Adam 
was spiritual, temporal and eternal, if they would be consistent, 
ought to believe in universal salvation, " p. 21, 22. But if the word 
all is not considered as it relates to the chihlrcn of Adam and (d 
Christ's children, then we must hold univeisal salvation. For the 



356 APPENDIX G. 

resurrection of damnation is not being made alive by Christ, but it 
is the second death, Kev. 20 : 14. Then Christ will put all his 
enemies under his feet, 1 Cor. 15 : 25. In this chapter God speaks 
of the resurrection of his children, and not one word of the resur- 
rection of the wicked. But Christ had said before : " The hour is 
coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall come forth, they 
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that 
have done evil, unto tke resurrection of damnation," Jo. 5 : 28, 29. 
So here it is said: '' As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all 
be made alive." And for all such it is said, the sting of death is 
sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks unto God who 
giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ, " 1 Cor. 1 5 : 
22, 56 J 57. No other men will be made alive at the last day but 
those who are delivered from the guilt and power of sin before that 
day — the day when death and hell shall be cast into the lake of 
fire, which is the second death, K-ev. 20 : 12, 14. Such were never 
made alive in Christ, as all men died in Adam. * * * 

" The enmity which men have discovered against the sovereignty 
of the grace of God, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, hath now 
prevailed so far, that every art is made use of to put other senses 
upon the words of revelation than God intended therein. He said 
to Moses : " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I 
will have compassion, on whom I will have compassion. So then it 
is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that 
showeth mercy, Ro. 9: 15, 16. This was the doctrine which God 
made use of in all the reformation, that was wrought in Germany, 
England, and Scotland, after the year 1517 ; and by the same doc- 
trine he wrought all the reformation that has been in our day, both 
in Europe and America. Elect according to the foreknowledge of 
God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience 
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, Is the only way of 
salvation which he hath revealed, 1 Pet. 1 : 2. And when any 
person is clearly convinced of sin by the power of the Spirit of God, 
and then has a revelation of the blood and righteousness of Christ 
as infinitely free and sufficient to relieve his guilty conscience, he 
hath a greater certainty of the truth of the Scriptures, than all the 



APPENDIX G. 357 

human learning on earth can give him. And though, as the rao-Ino- 
sea dashes against the rocks, so men rage against this doctrine ; yet 
it stands firmer than all the rocks and mountains upon earth. 

" President Edwards had his imperfections ; yet God honored him 
as much as any minister in our land. Dr. Hopkins pubhshed a 
book, the year after Edwards died, and many others since, which 
have filled our land with controversy and given the enemy an occa- 
sion to reproach the truth, especially, about the sovereignty of grace 
and the earnest and free calls of the gospel to all sinners, without 
any good in them. But to put either of these upon a level with Dr. 
Priestley, who in the most public manner has denied that Christ is 
truly God, and that he ever made an atonement for the sins of men, 
must be exceedingly hurtful to young minds and grievous to others. 
God will finally do him justice ; and O ! that he may bring him to 
repentance ! But he never ought to be called a Christian as long as 
he denies the Divinity and merits of Jesus Christ. A gentleman, 
who was educated at Yale College, was fond of Priestley's writings 
for some time, but he confessed to a near friend of mine last year, 
that all his foundation was gone, and he knew not what would become 
of him after death. He also seriously gave it as his opinion that Dr. 
Priestley had done as much at least to promote infidelity, both in 
Europe and America, as any man in our day. 

*' God says : * Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of 
an enemy are deceitful. * Prov. 27:6. And as far as I know my 
heart, these lines are from your hearty friend, 

Isaac Backus. 
President Maxcy." 

"R. I. College, June 2G, 1797. 

" Eev. and Dear Sir : — Some time since, I received a letter 
from you, assigning your reasons against my sentiments concerning 
the death threatened to Adam. These reasons I have road with 
attention, and shall let them have all that weight with mo, ^vhu•h 
your age, experience and theological information dosorvo. I do 
not mean here to enter into an examination of the various points 
o'')jected against ; but only to observe that most of my frlomls 



358 APPENDIX G. 

appear to have misunderstood my leading ideas on the present sub- 
ject. I never believed that spiritual death was not included in the 
penalty of the moral law ; neither did I ever believe that the prohi- 
bition laid on Adam, was the moral law. I have considered it as a 
positive law, and natural death only its penalty. If this be not the 
case, I can give no account of the origin of natural death. I admit, 
and always have admitted, all the consequences of the fall, exactly 
in the manner that orthodox divines have admitted them. My ob- 
ject has been to keep up a distinction between the law, by the 
breach of which natural death was introduced, and the law by the 
breach of which spiritual death was introduced. 

*'My sentiments in general have been grossly misrepresented, par- 
ticularly with regard to universalism, a doctrine which I believe 
contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture. Some things which I 
have published were rash and imprudent. I am particularly sorry 
for them, as they gave pain to those who were some of the first 
friends of the College. I shall be cautious in future. I am much 
obliged to you for the very frank and open manner in which you 
address me in your letter. I consider it as a mark of your real 
friendship for me and the College. Your advice to me will at all 
times be acceptable, and I shall feel myself under obligations for it. 
Believe me, Kevd. Sir, to be your sincere friend and brother in 
the Gospel of Christ, 

JONA. MaXCY." 



"MiDDLEBORO', July 31, 1797. 

"Dear Sir: — Yours of June 26th gave me much satisfaction, 
both because you therein retract some publications which were 
grievous and also as you frankly give me your ideas of principles 
which I have long believed to be true. That you have been misun- 
derstood in many things, even by your friends, as you observe, 
is doubtless true ; and a great part of the controversies among 
Christians proceed from the same cause, which made me desirous to 
obtain your real ideas, if I could ; and I thank you for giving them 
freely. I am as far as you are from a desire to enter into any con- 



APPENDIX G. 359 

troversy ; and perhaps it will produce none for me to give you my 
ideas of the main point in which we still seem to differ. 

*' I will not say that the precept which forbade our parents eat- 
ing the forbidden fruit, was a moral precept in the strict sense of 
the word ; yet I believe they broke the moral law in violating that 
precept. For the moral law is, to love God with all our powers 
and our neighbors as ourselves. And nothing can be more con- 
trary to pure love, than to beUeve the devil before hun, so as to 
violate his plain command. By this the race of Adam was made 
sinners^ which is spiritual death, Ro. 5:19. And how any of them 
could be made righteous^ as is then declared, the moral law never 
discovered. Neither Adam in a state of innocence, nor any angel in 
heaven, knew anything about pardon for sin or cleansing from ini- 
quity, until God revealed them in the seed of the woman, whose 
blood was typified in Abel's offering a lamb by faith ; and all the 
blood ever shed by God's command in sacrifice, pointed to the 
blood of Christ upon the cross. After the death of Christ, those 
who rejected him and continued those sacrifices, were no better than 
murderers and idolaters ; as is declared in the last chapter of Isaiah, 
which the martyr Stephen applies to them in the seventh of the 
Acts. So that though the pure moral law did not make any differ- 
ence between one tree and another ; yet when God had done it by 
express command, Adam broke the moral law in breaking that com- 
mand just as really as he could in any act of rebellion against his 
Creator. Yea, he therein rebelled against heaven and seized upon 
earth as his own. And the same disposition has ever appeared in 
all his posterity. 

" In a word, the moral law requires us to believe all that God 
reveals and to obey all his commands to us, though human reason 
could discover nothing of the many of these commands witliout 
revelation. Reason should make us cautious that we are not im- 
posed upon by false pretences to revelation ; but where the Scrip- 
ture speaks plainly, it should silence all disputes, Gcil. 4 : 80. It is 
a more sure word of prophecy than an audible voice from heaven, 
which, though true, was soon gone, while the written word remains, 
2 Pet. 1: 17,21. The angels desire to look into what God has 



360 APPENDIX G. 

revealed to men and learn much thereby, 1 Pet. 1:12, Eph. 3:9, 
10. And how earnest should we be to imitate their example, when 
innumerable evils prevail by setting up reason above revelation. 
Some have strenuously asserted that saving faith in Christ is not 
required by the moral law, which is another mode of setting up 
reason above revelation. For he that believeth not God, hath made 
him a liar ; and if that is not a moral evil, and setting to our seal 
that God is true, a moral virtue, what can be so? Jo. 5: 10, and 
3: 33. Yours, 

Isaac Backus." 



I isr 3D IE X. 



A. 

Adams^ John, remarks at Philadel- 
phia Conference, 210, 212 ; ac- 
count of Philadelphia Conference, 
349 ; letter to Henry Channing, 
263. 

Adams, Samuel, Mr. Backus's letter 
to, 195 ; at the Philadelphia Con- 
ference, 210, 211. 

Alden, Samuel, 67, 98. 

Ames^ Elijah, seized for rates, 240. 

Ames, Joseph, seized for rates, 240 ; 

Articles of faith, 334. 

Ashjield, oppression in, 174, 180, 218. 

Augustine, confessions of, 17; views 
of the pastor's work, 72. 

Avery, M., 79. 

B 

Bahcock^ Stephen, difference with Mr. 

Paine, 109,111. 
Backus, Mrs. Elizabeth, notices of, 

26 ; religious character and con- 
version, 27 ; sanctified affliction, 

27 ; extracts from correspondence, 
28, 30 ; imprisonment for rates, 
29 ; joy in revival, 30 ; marriage 
of, 31 ; father's family, 31. 

Backus, Isaac, general influences on 
liis early character, 19 ; grandfa- 

31 



ther, 23 ; grandmother, 26 ; mo- 
ther's religious character and in- 
fluence, 27 ; notice of his ancestry 
by himself, 31 ; when and where 
born, 31 ; early education, 31 ; 
doctrinal knowledge, 37 convic- 
tion of sin, 37 ; conversion, 39, 
321 ; lights and shadows, 40 ; re- 
luctantly joins the church in Nor- 
wich, 42 ; withdraws from it, 42 ; 
his reasons for this step, 43 ; pub- 
licly admonished and suspended, 
43 ; conference with Mr. Hovcy, 
51 ; is called to preach, 60 ; visits 
Colchester and Lyme, 61 ; preach- 
es before the church, 62 ; views 
of " an internal call," 62 ; preach- 
es from place to place, 65 ; doubts 
respecting his call,66; accompanies 
Mr. Snow on a preaching tour, 
66 ; visits Titicut, 67 ; is moved 
to labor there, 67 ; invited to 
preach, 69 ; ordained pastor of tlic 
Separate Church, 70; treatment 
by the Precinct Committee, 70 ; 
seized for rates, 71 ; Mr. Edson 
pays his tax, 71 ; character as a 
young pastor, 72; lalx^rs and suc- 
cess, 73 ; prayer and its answer, 
73 ; extracts from jonrin\l, 73 ; 
preaches cxtcm^>oro, 74 ; extracts 



362 



INDEX. 



from journal, 74 ; itinerant preach- 
ing, 75 ; visits Mr. Snow at Prov- 
idence, 75 ; preaching tour to 
Harwich, 76 ; divine wisdom, 76 ; 
extracts from journal, 78 ; second 
conference with Mr. Hovey, 78 : 
opinion of discussions, 78 ; rea- 
sons for disregarding parish lines, 
79 ; choice of a wife, 80 ; mar- 
riage, 81 ; description of wedding, 
81 ; trials as pastor, 82 ; seeks to 
avoid the subject of baptism, 84 ; 
perplexed about it, 84 ; hasty de- 
cision, 84 ; preaches in favor of 
Baptist views, 85 ; doubts again, 
85 ; visits Norwich, 85 ; returns 
to his former belief, 86 ; retracts 
his baptist sentiments, 86 ; preach- 
es in favor of infant baptism, 87 ; 
guilty of rashness, 87 ; unable to 
dismiss the subject, 87 ; two years 
of suspense and study, 88 ; ex- 
tracts from journal, 88 ; his souFs 
anchor, 88 ; secret prayer, 89 ; 
protracted inquiries, 90 ; finds no 
place for half way members, 91 ; 
prayerfully examines God's Word, 
91 ; only believers are to be bap- 
tized ; is baptized with six of his 
church, 93 ; reasons for his reluc- 
tance, 94 ; purposes to remain a 
Separate, 95 ; but cannot practise 
infant baptism, 95 ; dissension in 
his church, 95 ; is censured by the 
first council, 96 ; visits Norwich, 
96 ; burdened in spirit, 97 ; re- 
turns home and is restored to of- 
fice, 98 ; is opposed by two breth- 
ren, 98; admonished, with the 
brethren, by the second council, 
99 ; the two brethren excluded, 
99 ; he is censured by the third 



council, 100 ; and the two brethren 
justified, 101 ; is excluded from 
the church, 102 ; his letter to the 
church, 102 ; arguments against 
infant baptism, 103; continues to 
preach, 105; visits Sturbridge, 
106 ; desires freedom from a par- 
ty spirit, 107 ; attends general 
meeting of Separates in Exeter, 
108 ; blamed by the fifth council 
but renews covenant, 109 ; discord 
still, 109; visits Mr. Washburn, 110; 
attends second general meeting of 
Separates at Stonington, 110; 
practises open communion, 114 ; 
seeks in vain for peace in his 
church, 114 ; reviews Bunyan's ar- 
gument for open communion, 115; 
finds it unsatisfactory, 116; re- 
linquishes open communion, 117; 
a dull scholar, 118 ; installed over 
the Baptist church, 119 ; attends a 
council at Harwich, 119; ordi- 
nation, 119; visits Barnstable, 120; 
preaching tour to New Hampshire, 
121 ; washing disciples' feet not a 
christian ordinance, 122; journey to 
New Hampshire, 124 ; visits Mar- 
tha's Vineyard, 124 ; conversation 
with Mr. Newman, 125 ; attends 
a council at Harwich, 126 ; visits 
Norwich, 127 ; journey to Dur- 
ham, 127 ; gratitude for pious pa- 
rents, 128 ; is a firm Baptist, 129 ; 
and an earnest worker, 130 ; 
preaching tour to New Hampshire, 
130 ; preaching tour to Connecti- 
cut, 131 ; visits the Cape, 132 ; 
assists in the ordination of Mr. 
Chase, 132 ; describes a wedding, 
visits Norwich thrice, 133 ; the 
* hard saying,' 133 ; special views 



INDEX. 



363 



of truth, 134 ; comfort in affliction 
135 ; signs of a revival, 138 ; a 
genuine work of grace, 145 ; la- 
ments the effect of war, 148 ; and 
the neglect of family prayer, 149 ; 
opposes Sandemanianism, 150; 
is chosen Trustee of Rhode Isl- 
and College, 152 ; serves thirty- 
four years, 154 ; is clerk of the 
Warren Association, 155; a de- 
fender of religious liberty, 157 ; 
is appointed on the Committee of 
Grievances, 1 74 ; an efficient mem- 
ber, 176 ; religious oppression 
worse than civil, 186 ; agent of the 
Association ten years, 188; his 
circular to the churches, 188 ; ap- 
proves Samuel Adams's po- 
litical views, 195 ; arguments for 
religious liberty, 196 ; petitions 
General Court for the Warwick 
prisoners, 198 ; sent by the Asso- 
ciation to Congress, 202 ; journey 
to Philadelphia, 203 ; consults 
with friends, 203 ; meets the Mas- 
sachusetts delegation, 204 ; his 
course a matter of conscience, 211; 
assistance promised, 211 ; object 
of his visit misrepresented, 214; 
address to the Massachusetts Con- 
gress, 215 ; views of taxation and 
representation, 216 ; views of 
Church and State, 216 ; views of 
coercion for religion, 217 ; object 
in going to Philadelphia, 218 ; de- 
termination and demand, 221 ; 
answered by a resolve, 223 ; a 
friend to his country, 225 ; memo- 
rial to the General Court, 226 ; its 
reception, 227 ; " Address to 
Cliristians," 229 ; " Address to 
the people of New England, " 232 ; 



Vol. I. of his history, 232 ; paper 
on religious liberty, 234 ; opposes 
church establishments, 234 ; prin- 
ciples more than pence, 236 ; 
shows Chauncey's inconsistency, 
237 ; challenges his opposers, 239; 
protests against the third article in 
the Bill of Rights, 241 ; circular to 
the churches, 242 ; estimate of his 
own labors, 247 ; refuses to recog- 
nize civil authority in religious 
matters, 249 ; trial of his patience, 
250 ; usefulness as a pastor, 265 ; 
extracts from journal, 266 ; labors 
as an evangeftst, 270 ; preaching 
tour to Virginia, 271; reflections at 
sea,272; extracts from journal,273; 
a wise counsellor, 274 ; effectual 
prayer, 276 ; visits South Brim- 
field, 278 ; historical labors, 280 ; 
writes against universal salvation, 
301 ; extracts from journal, 302 ; 
laments the prevailing immorality 
and infidelity, 302 ; rejoices in the 
revivals, 304 ; domestic life, 307 ; 
children, 308 ; death of his wife, 
308 ; support in trial, 308 ; death 
of his daughter Sibel, 309 ; preach- 
es before the Warren Association, 
310 ; death of his daughter Su- 
sanna, 310 ; last public testimony, 
sickness and death, 310; epitaph, 
311; personal appearance, 311; 
remarkable diligence, 3\2 ; sterling 
sense, 315 ; estimate of different 
writers, 315; favors an educated 
ministry, 317 ; views of ministe- 
rial support, 318; airnest picti/, 
320 ; study of Scrii)tures, 320 ; 
adhesion to principle, 323 ; charii v, 
324. 
Letters from, to tlie cluu-ch i:i 



8G4 



INDEX. 



Middleboro , 102; letter to his 
mother, 112, 117, 118, 134, 135, 
136, 137, 138, 148 ; letter to 
Richard Chase, 122 ; letter to 
Benjamin Wallin, 139, 199; let- 
ter to Dr. Lord, 14G ; letter to 
Dr. Gill, 152; letter to a mem- 
ber of the General Assembly, 185 ; 
letter to Dr. Stennett, 190; let- 
ter to Samuel Adams, 195; let- 
ter to the Philadelphia Commit- 
tee, 225 ; letter to a brother in 
London, 246 ; letter to George 
Washington, 251 ; letter to Mr. 
Rippon, 252 ; lelter to Mrs. Mar- 
garet Draper, 257 ; letter to Wil- 
liam Richards, 259; letter to the 
South Brimfield Church, 278. 

Writings of, sermon on the death of 
his mother, 31 ; discourse on an 
internal call, 62 ; sermon on the 
bond woman and the free, 118, 
144; sermon on Acts 13:27, (1763) 
144 ; discourse on the duty of 
family prayer, 149 ; discourse, true 
faith will produce good works, 
150 ; circular to the churches, 188 ; 
memorial of the Baptists, 204 ; 
appeal to the public, 212 ; address 
to the General Court, 215 ; me- 
morial to the General Court, 226 ; 
address to christian people, 229 ; 
address to the people of New Eng- 
land, 231 ; history of the Baptists 
in New England, vol. i, 232 ; pa- 
per on religious liberty, 234 ; pro- 
test against the third article in the 
Bill of Rights, 241 ; circular to the 
churches, 242; published works, 
list of, 313. 

Backus, Joseph, opposes Saybrook 
Platform in the Assembly and in 



Norwich, 23 ; withdraws, with oth- 
ers, from Mr. Woodward, 23 ; vis- 
its Mr. Wise and the Mathers, 25. 

Backus, Mrs. Joseph, notices of, 26, 
28, 127, 131, 133, 135. 

Backus, Samuel, Sen., 26, 31. 

Backus, Samuel , (brother of Isaac,)25. 

Backus, Mrs. Susanna, marriage, 
81 ; relation of experience, 89 ; 
character, 307 ; sickness, 308 ; 
death and burial, 308. 

Baldwin, Thomas, interview with Dr. 
Lord, 50; letter from, to Mr. 
Backus, 289 ; description of Mr. 
Backus, 311 ; friend of Mr. Back- 
us, 325. 

Balkom, Elijah, sues the assessors, 
245 ; final judgment in his favor, 
246. 

Baptism, 84, 86, 91, 92, 93, 94, 108. 

Bellamy, Joseph, preaching of, 36 ; 
labors in the great revival, 49. 

Blunt, John, pastor at Sturbridge, 
106 ; council respecting, 107. 

BoUes, John, letter from, to Mr. 
Backus, 299. 

Bradford, William, 246. 

Bradley, Joshua, letter from, to Mr. 
Backus, 297. 

Brett, Silas, 68. 

Bryam, Eliab, 68. 

Burroughs, Mr., 287. 

Bushnell, Richard, 23. 



Cambridge Platform, adyocated by 
settlers of Norwich, 20 ; inconsis- 
tent with church independence, 21 ; 
approved by General Court, 161 ; 
makes it the magistrate's duty 
to take care of reliction, 161 : her- 



INDEX. 



365 



esy to be punished by civil author- 
ity, 161. 

Canterbury y Separates in, 48. 

Carpenter J William ^ 121. 

Chandler, Dr., 234. 

Chase, Mr., 119, 126, 127. 

Chase, Richard, letter to, 122. 

Chase, Mr., ordination of, 132. 

Chauncey, Z)r., views of unconverted 
ministers, 56 ; against religious 
establishments, 234 ; favors uni- 
versal salvation, 301. 

Chelmsford, 182, 189, 220. 

Clay, Eleazer, character of, 294 ; 
letter from, 294. 

Cleaveland, John, 48. 

Cleaveland, Ebenezer, 48. 

Cogg swell, James, 48. 

Communion, mixed, favored by Sep- 
arates, 108 ; close, favored by 
Pedobaptists, 110, 111, 269 ; open, 
favored by Baptists, 113; open, 
practised by Backus, 114; ques- 
tion of, reviewed by him, 115; 
open, relinquished, 117. 

Confessions of Augustine, 17. 

Congregationalism, early, in Connect- 
icut, 19 ; in Massachusetts, 158, 
170. 

Connection of Church and State, in 
Massachusetts, 21, 158, 161, 166, 
206 ; in Connecticut, 22, 59 ; op- 
posed, 48, 68 ; Backus's views of, 
194, 217 ; Chauncey opposes, 234 ; 
finally dissolved in Mass., 264. 

Cornell, Joseph, letter from, 298. 

Councils, at Titicut, 95, 98, 99, 108, 
109 ; at Sturbridge, 106; at Har- 
wich, 119, 126; at Wrentham, 
275 ; at South Brimfield, 276. 

Covenant, Half-way, see half-way. 

Crosby, Nathan, 183, 220. 



Croswell, A., 83. 
Cushing, Thomas, 211. 
Cutler, Gershom, 248. 
Cyprian, 17. 

D. 

Davenport, James, 38. 

Davis, John, agent to London, 175 ; 
letter from, to Morgan Edwards, 
176 ; petitions the General Court, 
180; accepts the anonymous chal- 
lenge, 181 ; abuse of, 181 ; death 
and character, 187, 190 ; friend of 
Backus, 325. 

Denison, Frederic, 27, 29, 42, 53. 

E. 

Early Christians, indiiierencc of, to 
life before conversion, 17. 

Edwards, Jonathan, testimony on the 
religious declension, 33 ; preach- 
ing of, and its results, 34 ; opin- 
ion of the revival, 37 ; on owning 
the covenant, 44 ; on ministerial 
qualifications, 58. 

Edwards, Morgan, aids in establish- 
ing K. I. College, 151 ; letter to, 
from J. Davis, 176. 

Edwards, Timothy, 24. 



Fitch, James, ordination of, 19. 
Fletcher, Asaph, letter from, 227. 
Fox, Joseph, 203. 

Fuller, A., estimate of Sandemanian- 
ism, 340. 

G. 

Gano, John, 155, 325. 
Gardiner, John, 151. 



3r 



866 



I X D E X . 



Gordon^ Dr., Hist, of Am. Revolu- 
tion, 2.54. 
Gorham, oppression at, 219. 
Great Awakening, 33, 35, 36, 37. 
Green, Dr., ISl. 

H. 

Ilalf-way Covenant^ 44, 164. 
JlaU, Silas, 275, 310. 
Hancock, John, 222, 223. 
Harwich, ordination at, 76, 132 ; 

council at, 119. 
Harvey, Samuel, 182. 
Hawlcy, Maj., 226, 228. 
Hay ward ^ Seth, 66. 
Hebhard, Jedediah, letter from, 96, 

286. 
Hide, Jonathan, 124, 332. 
/////, Charles, imprisoned, 29 ; letter 

fi'om, to Dr. Lord, 53. 
Hinds, Ehenezer, 83, 132, 137. 
Holmes, Ohadiah, -whipped in Boston, 

162. 
Hooker, Mr., 19. 
Hovey, Ivory, 51, 78. 
Hyde, Jedediah, 61, 332. 



Infant Baptism, 85, 86, 87, 91, 95, 
98, 100, 102-105, 106, 111, 112, 
324. 



Jones, David, 190. 

Jones, R. S., letter from, for Phil. 
Committee, 224. 

K. 

Kimball, Mrs. Martha, letter from, 
184. 



Laws, Ecclesiastical, sketch of desir- 
able, 158; the regular church to 
be maintained, (in Conn.) 22 ; the 
Governor to be a church member, 
22 ; no churcli to be formed with- 
out consent of government, 22 ; 
none allowed that would not sup- 
port an orthodox minister, 22 ; 
graduates the only regular minis- 
ters, 59 ; parish lines not to bo 
transgressed, 65. 

Laws, Ecclesiastical, (in Mass.) only 
church members freemen, 158 ; 
church discipline enjoined by mag- 
istrates, 1 58 ; churches must be 
approved by magistrates, 159, 160; 
Roger Williams ordered out of 
Salem, 159 ; Jesuits banished, 159 ; 
punishment of excommunicates, 
159; all to be taxed, 159; and 
compelled to pay, 159; church 
discipline to be enforced by mag- 
istrates, 160; opponents of infant 
baptism to be banished, 160; ab- 
sentees from churcli fined, 160; 
disturbers of church order fined, 
160 ; ''a wanton gospeller," 161 ; 
Cambridge Platform approved, 
161; Maiden church fined, 162, 
ordination forbidden, 163 ; severe, 
against Quakers, 163, J 64; coun- 
termanded in part, by the King, 
165; as to building meeting- 
houses, 166 ; first act of exemp- 
tion, 1728, 168 ; second act of ex- 
emption, 1729, 168; third act of 
exemption, 1734, 169; fourth act 
of exemption, 1747, 170; fifth act 
of exemption, 1753, 170; sixth 
act of exemption, 1757, 1 "0 ; new 
certificate law, 1770, 180; minis- 



INDEX, 



367 



terial and civil taxes confounded, 
1786, 250; true freedom at last, 
1833, 264. 

Leffingwellj John, letter from, 77. 

Lelandj John, 18. 

Lewis, Mr., 79. 

Ijord, Mr., pastor at Norwich, 29 ; 
pledged to Cambridge Platform, 
24 ; yisits Edwards, 34 : upholds 
the Stoddardean opinion, 41 ; tries 
to prevent lowly preaching, 43 ; 
character of his preaching, 43 ; 
supports the Saybrook Platform, 
43, 48 ; favors the revival, 49 ; 
changes his mind, in part, 50 ; in- 
terview with Thos. Baldwin, 50 ; 
letter to, from Mr. Hill, 53 ; 
charges of, against New-Lights, 
146 ; letter to, from Mr. Backus, 
147. 

M. 

Macomher, Job, letter from, 283. 

Manning, James, notices of, 151, 153, 
154, 155, 203, 253, 325 ; letter to, 
from H. Smith, 221 ; circular let- 
ter by, 344. 

Mansfield, 20, 83. 

Mason, Susanna, 80. 

Maxcy, Jonathan, his conversion, 
322 ; friend of Backus, 325 ; cor- 
respondence, 357. 

Meacham, Joseph, 174. 

Mellen, James, 277. 

Mendon, 189. 

Ministry, unconverted, 55 , and ap- 
proved, 56 ; conceal their opin- 
ions, 56 : Chauncey's opinions 
of, 56 ; conversion unnecessary 
for, 57 ; qualifications of candi- 
dates, in Conn., 57 ; an internal 
call unnecessary, 57 ; liberal edu- 



cation indispensable, 58 ; reasons 
for retaining this view, 59 ; oppo- 
site views held by Separates, 59 ; 
Backus's views of a call to, 62 ; 
examination of candidates for, 69 ; 
support of, 71, 139, 140, 159, 168, 
182, 186, 256, 264, 318 ; relation of 
to the churches, 96, 98, 100 ; chil- 
dren of, 104; qualifications for, 
125, 153, 317. 

Montague, 182, 219. 

Montague, Richard, 174. 

Moody, Joseph, 219. 

Moulton, Mr., 276. 

N. 

New-Lights, see Separates. 

Newman, Mr., 125. 

Northampton, revival in, 34. 

Noriuich, planted, 20; history of 
church in, 22 ; oppressions in, 28, 
107 ; state of regular church, 41. 

O. 

Odiorne, Mr., 121. 
Ordination, nature of, 19. 
Ordinations, 70, 76, 119, 132, 137 
Owen, Mr., 34. 

P. 

Paine, R T., 211, 214, 245. 
Paine, Solomon, 101, 109, 110, 114. 
Payson, Mr., 233, 234. 
Panhcrton, Israel, 203. 
Pemherion, James, 203. 
Philadelphia Association, letter from, 

to Warren Association, 342. 
Pierce, Benjamin, 93. 
Platform, Cambridge, sec Cambridge. 
Platform, Saybrook, see Saybrook. 
Plimpton, Na(han,-2:n. 



368 



INDEX. 



Pomeroy, Mr., is in Norwich, 36, 

38 ; a zealous laborer, 49. 
Pontius J 17. 
Porter y Mr., testimony concerning 

unconverted ministers, .56. 
Preaching, not an ecclesiastical act, 

64. 
Prentice, Oliver, 109. 
Prince, Mr., 83. 
Prince, Mr., (the blind preacher), 

124. 
Proctor, Gershom, 183. 
Proctor, John, 171. 
Proctor, Henry, 183. 

Q. 

Quakers, forbidden to enter the Col- 
ony, 163; punishments of, 164; 
four executed, 164 ; apology for 
persecution of, 165 ; punishment of 
by death forbidden, 165; acts of 
exemption, 168-171. 

R. 

Reed, Solomon, 68. 

Revivals, Great Awakening, 33 ; at 
Titicut, 69, 73; at Providence, 
76; at Harwich, 126 ; atMethuen, 
130; at Middleboro', 138, 144; 
in sundry places, 142; of 1780, 
266 ; in Maine, 284 ; in Vermont, 
287 ; in Connecticut, 289, 300 ; in 
New London, N. H., 291 ; in Vir- 
ginia, 294 ; in the Mississippi Val- 
ley, 296 ; at Newport, R. I., 297 
at Providence, 298 : in various 
places, 302, 305. 

Rhode Island College, 151. 

Rogers, William, character, 295 ; let- 
ter from, 295 ; friend of Backus, 
325. 



Round, Mr., 132. 
Ruggles, Mr., 56. 



s 



Sabins, Mr., imprisoned, 29. 

Saltonstall, Gov., 24. 

Sandeman, Robert, 149, 150. 

Sandemanianism, 340. 

Sargeant, Judge^ 248. 

Sewall, Judge, 249. 

Sayhrooh Platform, 43; supported 
by Ml'. Lord, 43 ; opposed by Sep- 
arates, 47. 

Seamans, Job, letter from, 290. 

Separates, first meeting in Norwich, 
43 ; reasons for separation, 43- 
48 ; reject the half-way covenant, 
45 ; views of conversion sound, 

- 46 ; disapprove of neglect of dis- 
cipline, 47 ; assert the independ- 
ence of each church, 47 ; not edi- 
fied by the regular preaching, 48 ; 
church organized in Norwich, 53 ; 
advocate " lowly preaching,'' 59 ; 
and an inward call, 59 ; liberal 
education not indispensable, 60 ; 
separation of church and state, 68 ; 
approve of evangelists, 75 ; Bap- 
tist tendencies of, 82 ; general 
meeting in Exeter, 108 ; favor 
mixed communion, 108 ; general 
meeting at Stonington, 110 ; Bap- 
tists and Pedobaptists, 110, 111 ; 
Pedobaptist portion favors close 
communion, 111, 112; second 
convention at Exeter, 113; Bap- 
tist poition favors open commu- 
nion, 113; charges against, by 
Dr. Lord, 146 ; defended by Mr. 
Backus, 147 ; accused of covet, 
ousness, 194. 



INDEX 



339 



T. 

Temant, Gilbert, 36, 55. 

Titicut^ description of, 66, 67 ; dis- 
sensions in the church of, 84 ; se- 
cession of Baptists, 86. 

Tolar, Henry ^ letter from, 296. 

Tracy, Elizabeth, 31. 

Tracy, John, 26. 

SruJubuU, Benjamin, 19, 22, 35, 41, 
56, 65. 

U. 

Unitarianism, incipient, 150. 

V. 

Varnum, James, 68. 

W. 

Wadsworth, John, 68. 

WalUn, Benjamin, letter to, 139, 

199. 
Ward, Samuel, 151. 
Warwick, Baptists imprisoned, 197, 

220. 
Warren Association, formed, 155; 

appoint Committee of Grievances, 

174; decide to ask aid of the 



British Court, 175 ; appoint J. 
Davis agent, 175; petition the 
General Court, 177 ; appoint Mr. 
Backus agent, 188 ; action as to 
giving certificates, 192 ; send Mr. 
B. to the first Congress, 202 ; no- 
tices of, 175, 181, 228, 232, 234. 

Washburn, Robert, 98, 110. 

WlieelocJc, Mr., doctrinal preaching, 
36 ; in Norwich, 37, 38 ; labors 
zealously, 49. 

White, Benjamin, 70. 

Whitejield, George, preaches success- 
fully, 34, 35 ; testimony concern- 
ing unconverted ministers, 55. 

Wightman, Timothy, 174. 

Williams, Mr., 44. 

Williams, Judge, 182. 

Winslow, Mr., 31. 

Wise, John, 25. 

Woods, Jonathan, 83, 

Woodward, John, delegate to form 
Saybrook Platform, 23 ; reads it 
without proviso, 23. 
Y. 

Yale College, 48. 



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I M P O R T A N T W O E K . 



KITTO'S POPULAR CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL LITERA 

TURE. Condensed from the hu-;;:er work. Uy ilie Author, J oii^' Kitto,D. D., Autlior 
of" Pictorial Bible, '^ "'■ History of Palestine," " Scripture Daily Readings," &:c. Assisted 
by James Taylor, D. D., of Glasgow. With over Jive hundred lllastrations. One vol> 
ume octavo, 812 pp., cloth, 3,00. 

The Popular Biblical Cyclopjedia of Literature is designed to furnish a Dictioxaet 
OF TUB Bible, embodying the products of the best and most recent researches in biblical literature, 
in which the scholars of Europe and America have been engaged. The work, the result of immense 
Zabor and research, and enriched by the contributions of writers of distuiguished eminence in the va- 
rious departments of sacred hterature, has been, by universal consent, pronounced the best work of 
ii- class extant, and the one best suited to the advanced knowledge of the present day in all the studies 
•onnected with theological science. It is not only intended for ministers and theological students, 
^utis also particularly adapted to 2JCirents, Sabbath scJiool teachers, and the great body of the reUgiout 
public. The illustrations, amounting to more than three hundred, are of the very highest order. 

A condensed view of the various branches of Biblical Science comprehended in the work. 

1. Biblical Criticism, — Embracing the History of the Bible Languages ; Canon of Scripture ; 
Literary History and Peculiarities of the Sacred Books ; Formation and History of Scripture Texts. 

2. History, — Proper Names of Persons; Biographical Sketches of prominent Characters; Detailed 
Accounts of important Events recorded in Scripture ; Chronology and Genealogy of Scripture. 

3. Geography, — Names of Places; Description of Scenery ; Boundaries and Mutual Relation* of 
the Countries mentioned in Scripture, so far as necessaiy to illustrate the Sacred Text 

4. AECH.E0L0OY', — Manners and Customs of the Jews and other nations mentioned in Scripture; 
their Sacred Institutions, Military Affairs, Political Arrangements, Literary and Scientific Pursuits. 

5. Phy'sical SciEXCE,— Scripture Cosmogony and Astronomy, Zoology, Mineralogy, Botany, 
Meteorology. 

In addition to numerous flattering notices and reviews, personal letters from more than fifty of the 
most distinguished Ministers and Laymen of different religious denominations in the country have been 
»eceived, highly commending this work as admirably adapted to ministers, Sabbath school teachers^ 
iieads of families, and all Bible students. 

The following extract of a letter is a fair specimen of individual letters received from eac/f of the 
gentlemen whose names are given below : — 

" I have examined it with special and unalloyed satisfaction. It has the rare merit of being all that 
it professes to be, and very few, I am sure, who may consult it will deny tliat, in richness and fulness 
of detail, it surpasses their expectation. Many ministers will find it a valuable auxiliary ; but its 
thief excellence is, that it furnishes just the facilities which are needed by the thousands in families 
and Sabbath schools, who are engaged in the important business of biblical education. It is in itself a 
library of reliable information." 

W. B. Sprague, D. D., Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, Albany, N. Y. 

J. J. Carruthers, D. D., Pastor of Second Parish Congregatiorxal Church, Portland, Me. 

Joel Ha-vres, D. D., Pastor of First Congregational Church, Hartford, Ct. 

Daniel Sharp, D. D., late Pastor of Third Baptist Church, Boston. 

N. L. Frothingham, D. D.,late Pastor of First Congregational Church, (Unitarian,) Boston. 

Ephraim Peabody, D. D., Pastor of Stone Chapel Congregational Church, (Unitarian,) Bostoitt. 

A. L. Stone, Pastor of Park Street Congregational Church, Boston. 

John S. Stone, D. D., Rector of Christ Church, (Episcopal,) Brooklyn, N. Y. 

J. B. Waterbury, D. D., Pastor of Bowdoin Street Church, (Congregational,) Boston. 

Baron Stow, D. D., Pastor of Rowe Street Baptist Church, Boston. 

Thomas H. Skinner, D. D., Pastor of Carmine Presbyterian Church, New York. 

Samuel W. Worcester, D. D., Pastor of the Tabernacle Church, (Congregational.) Salem. 

Horace Bushnell, D. D., Pastor of Third Congregational Church, Hartford, Ct. 

Right Reverend J. M. Wainwright, D. D., Trinity Church, (Episcopal.) New York. 

Gardner Spring, D. D., Pastor of the Brick Church Chapel Presbyterian Church, New York. 

W. T. D wight, D. D., Pastor of Third Congregational Church. Portland, Me. 

E. N. Kirk, Pastor of Mount Vernon ConsTCfrat-onal Church. Boston. 

Prof. George Bush, author of " Notes on the Scriptures," New York. 

Howard Malcom, D. D.. nuthor of " Bible Dictionary," and Pres. of Lewisburg University. 

Henry J. Ripley. D. D.. author of " Notes on the Scriptures," and Prof, in Newton Theol. In«. 

N. Porter, Prof, in Yale College, New Haven, Ct. 

Jared Sparks. Edward Everett. Theodore Frelinghuysen, Robert C. Winthrop, John McLean, 

Simon Greenleaf, Thomas S. Williams, — and a large number of others of like character and 

■tanding of the above, whose names cannot here appear. H 



IMPORTANT AVORKS. 

ANALYTICAL CONCORDANCE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTTIRES ; 

or, The Bible presented under Distinct and Classified Heads or Tcpics. By Johx 
Eadie, D. D., LL. D., Author of "Biblical Cyclopaedia," "Dictionary of the 
Bible," &c., &c. One volume, royal octavo, 833 pp. Cloth, $3.00; sheep, S3 .50. 
Just published. 

I'he publishers would call the special attention of clergymen and others to some of tlie peculiar 
features of this great work. 

1. It is a concordance of subjects, not of words. In this it differs from the common concordance. 
Which, of course, it does not supersede. Both are necessary to the Biblical student. 

2. It embraces all the topics, both secular and religious, which are naturally suggested by the entire 
contents of the Bible. In this it differs from Scripture Manuals and Topical Text-books, which ar« 
confined to religious or doctrinal topics. 

3. It contains the whole of the Bible without abridgment, differing in no respect from the Bible in 
common use, except in the classification of its contents. 

4. It contains a synopsis, separate from the concordance, presenting within the compass of a few 
pages a bird's-eye view of the whole contents. 

5. It coDtains a table of contents, embracing nearly two thousand heads, arranged in alphabetical 
order. 

6. It is miich superior to the only other work in the language prepared on the same general plan, 
and is offered to the public at much less cost. 

The purchaser gets not only a Concordance, but also a Bible, in this volume. The superior con- 
venience arising out of this fact, — saving, as it does, the necessity of having two bookji at hand and 
of making two references, instead of one, — will be readily apparent. 

The general subjects (under each of Tjhlch there are a vast number of sub-divisions) are arranged 
as follows , viz. : 

Agriculture, Genealogy, Ministers of Religion, Sacrifice, 

Animals, God, Miracles, Scriptures, 

Architecture, Heaven, Occupations, Speech, 

Army, Arms, Idolatry, Idols, Ordinances, Spirits, 

Body, Jesus Christ, Parables and Emblems, Tabernacle and Temple, 

Canaan, Jews, Persecution, Vineyard and Orchard, 

Covenant, Laws, Praise and Prayer, Visions and Dreams, 

Diet and Dress, Magistrates, Prophecy, "War, 

Disease and Death, Man, Providence, "Water. 

Earth, Marriage, Redemption, 

Family, Metals and Minerals, Sabbaths and Holy Days, 

That such a work as this is of exceeding great convenience is matter of obvious remark. But it 
is much more than that ; it is also an instructive work. It is adapted not only to assist the student 
in prosecuting the investigation of preconceived ideas, but also to impart ideas which tlio most curc- 
ful reading of the Bible in its ordinary arrangement might not suggest. Let him take vp any one of 
the subjects — "Agriculture," for example — and see if such be not the case. This feature plncos 
the work in a higher grade than that of the common Concordance. It shows it to be, so to spt-uk, a 
work of more mind. 

No Biblical student would willingly dispense with this Concordance when once possessed. It is 
adapted to the necessities of all classes, ~ clergymen and theological students; Siibbatli-srliool 
superintendents and teachers; authors engaged in the composition of religious and even ictnuar 
works; and, in fine, common readers of the Bible, intent only on their own improvement. 

A COMMENTARY ON THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF THE ACTS 
OF THE ArOSTLES. By Horatio B. Ilackett. D. D., Brofessor of BibHctil Liter- 
ature and Interpretation, in the Newton Theological Institution. C^.^ A new, 
revised, and enlarged edition. Octavo, cloth. In Pnsm, 

BgrThis most important and very popular work, has been thronglily rcvisrd (soino pnrtji lu-inf 
entirely rewritten), and considerably enlarged by the introduction of important new nv.Ut.T. tlio 
result of tlie Author's continued, laborious invcstigutiouH sinci' tlir i.iil.l'u-iition of t!io llrst rdlt on, 
sided by the more recent pul)lished {■riticisuis on this portion of the Divine Word, by i-Ukv d^.^^.n^ 
fuished Biblical Scholars, in thin country and in Europe. 



(V 



MODERN ATIIEISx^I. 

MODERN ATHEISM, under its Forms of Pantheism, Materialism, Secu. 
larism, Development, and Natural Laws. By James Buchanan, D.D ,LL.D. 
12mo, cloth, S1.25. 

The Author of this work is the successor of Dr. Chalmers in the Chair of Divinity in the New- 
College, Edinburgh, and the intellectual leader of the Scottish Free Church. 

From Hugh Miller, Author of "Old Red Sandstoxe," &c., &c. — The work before us Is 
one of at once the most readable and solid which we have ever perused. 

From the "News of the Churches." — It is a work of which nothing less can be said, than 
that, both in spirit and substance, style and argument, it fixes irreversibly the name of the author 
as a leading classic in the Christian literature of Britain. 

From Howard Malcom, D. D., President of Lewisburg TJxiveesity. — No work has 
come into my hands, for a long time, so helpful to me as a teacher of metaphysics and morals. 
I know of nothing which will answer for a substitute. The public specially needs such a book at 
this time, when the covert atheism of Fichte, "Wolfe, Hegel, Kant, Schelling, D'Holbach, Comte, 
Crousse, Atkinson, Martineau, Leroux, Mackay, Holyoake, and others, is being spread abroad with 
all earnestness, supported, at least in some places, both by church influence and university honors. 
I cannot but hope that a work so timelji, scholarly, and complete, will do much good. 

It is one of the most solid and remarkable books in its department of literature; one of the most 
scholarly and profound productions of modem Christian literature. — Worcester Transcript. 

Dr. Buchanan has earned a high and well-deserved reputation as a classical writer and close logi- 
cal reasoner. He deals heavy, deadly blows on atheism in all its various forms ; and wherever the 
work is read it cannot fail to do good. — Christian Secretary. 

It is a work which places its author at once in the highest rank of modem religious authors. His 
analyses of the doctrines held by the various schools of modem atheism are admirable, and hia 
criticism original and profound ; while his arguments in defence of the Christian faith are powerful 
and convincing. It is an attractive as well as a solid book ; and he who peruses a few of its pages is, 
as it were, irresistibly drawn on to a thorough reading of the book. — Boston Portfolio. 

The style is very felicitous, and the reasoning clear and cogent. The opposing theories are fairly 
stated and combated with remarkable ease and skill. Even when the argument falls within the 
range of science, it is so happily stated that no intelligent reader can fail to understand it. Such a 
profound, dispassionate work is particularly called for at the present time. — Boston Journal. 

It is justly described as "a great argument," " magnificent in its strength, order, and beauty," in 
defence of truth, and against the variant theories of atheism. It reviews the doctrines of the dif- 
ferent schools of modern Atheism, gives a fair statement of their theories, answers and refutes them, 
never evading, but meeting and crushing their arguments. — Phila. Christian Observer. 

Dr. Buchanan is candid and impartial, too, as so strong a man can afford to be, evades no argument, 
■undertakes no opposing view, but meets his antagonists with the quiet and unswerving confidence 
of a locomotive on iron tracks, pretty sure to crush them. — Christian Register. 

We hail this production of a master mind as a lucid, vigorous, discriminating, and satisfactory 
refutation of the various false philosophies which have appeared in modern times to allure ingenu- 
ous youth to their destruction. Dr. Buchanan has studied them thoroughly, weighed them dispas- 
sionately, and exposed their falsity and emptiness. His refutation is a clear stream of Lght from 
beginning to end. — Phila. Presbyterian. 

We recommend " Modem Atheism " as a book for the times, and as having special claims on 
theological students. — Univeesalist Quarterly. 

It is remarkable for the clearness with which it apprehends and the fairness with which it states, 
not less than for the ability with which it replies to, the schemes of unbelief in its various modem 
forms. It will be found easy to read— though not light reading — and very quickening to thought, 
wliile it clears away, one by one, the mists which the Devil has conjured around the great doctrines 
of our Faith, by the help of some of his ingenious modem coadjutors, and leaves the truth of God 
standing in its serene and pristine majesty, as if the breath of hatred never had been breathed forth 
against it — Congregationalist. 

Dr. Buchanan has here gone into the enemy's camp, and defeated him on his own ground. 
The work is a masterly defence of faith against dogmatic unbelief on the one hand, and that uni- 
versal skepticism on the other, which neither affirms nor denies, on the ground of an assumed 
deficiency of evidence as to the reality of God and religion. — N. Y. Christian Chronicle. 

It is a clearly and vigorously written book. It is particularly valuable for its clear statement and 
fciasterly refutation of the Pantheism of Spinoza and his School. — Christian Herald. (y) 



IMPORTAI ^T NE\ y WORKS. 

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE : Social and Individual. By Peter Bayne. A. M 

12mo. Cloth. $1.25. 

Contents. — TA.UT 1, Statement. I. The Individual Life. II. The Sociallafe. 
Part II. Exposition and Illustration. Book I. Christianity the Basis oj 
Social Life. I. First Principles. II. Howard; and the rise of Philanthropy. III. 
Wilberforce; and the development of Philanthropy. IV. Budgett; the Christian 
Freeman. V. The social problem of the age, and one or two hints towards its solution. 
Book 11. Christianity the Basis of Individual Character. 1. Introductory: a few 
Words on Modern Doubt. II. John Foster. III. Thomas Arnold. TV. Thomw 
Chalmers. Part III. Outlook. 1. The Positive Philosophy. II. Pantheistic 
Spiritualism. III. General Conclusion. 

Particular attention is invited to this work. In Scotland, its publication, durin| 
the last winter, produced a great sensation. Hugh Miller made it the subject of ac 
elaborate review in his paper, the Edinburgh Witness^ and gave his readers to under- 
stand that it was an extraordinary work. The " News of the Churches.,'^'' the montlilj 
organ of the Scottish Free Church, was equally emphatic in its praise, pronouncing 
it " the religious book of the season." Strikingly original in plan and brilliant in 
execution, it far surpasses the expectations raised by the somewhat familiar title. It 
is, in truth, a bold onslaught (and the first of the kind) upon the Pantheism of Carlyle, 
Fichte, etc., by an ardent admirer of Carlyle; and at the same time an exhibition of 
the Christian Life, in ite inner principle, and as illustrated in the lives of Howard 
"W ii bertorce, Budirett. i^Oster. Chalmers, etc. The brilliancy and vigor of the author 3 
style are remarkuble 

PATRIARCHY; or, the Family, its Constitution and Proba By John 

Harris, D. D., President of *' New College," London, and author of " 'I'he 
Great Teacher " " Mammon," " Pre- Adamite Earth," " Man Primeval," etc 
12mo. Cloth. $1.25. 0:^=' A new work of great interest. 
This is the third and last of a series, by the same author, entitled " Contributions 
to Theological Science." The plan of this series is highly original, and has been 
most successfully executed. Of the two first in the series, '' Pre-Adamite Earth'- and 
*' Man Primeval," we have already issued four and five editions, and the demand 
still continues. The immense sale of all Dr. Harris's works attest their intrinsic 
worth. This volume contains most important information and instruction touching 
the family — its nature and order, parental instruction, parental authority and gov- 
ernment, parental responsibility, &c. It contains, in fact, such a fund of vuluabl<» 
information as no pastor, or head of a family, can afford to dispense with. 

GOD REVEALED IN NATURE AND IN CHRIST: Including a Refutation 
of the Development Theory contained in the " Vestiges of the Natural History 
of Creation." By the Author of " The Philosophy of the Plan of Sai^ 
VATION." 12mo. Cloth. $1.00. 

The author of that remarkable book, " The Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation,' 
La devoted several years of incessant labor to the preparation of this work. Without 
being specifically controveisial, its aim is to overthrow several of the popular errors 
of the day, by establishing the antagonist truth upon an impregnable basis of reuso'i 
and logic. In opposition to the doctrine of a mere subjective revelation, now so 
plausibly inculcated by certain eminent writers, it demonstrates the necessity oi au 
external, objective revelation. Especially, it furnishes a new, and as it is conceivrd, 
a conclusive argument against tlte ^^ development theory ^' so ingi'niously inanitainod 
m the "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation.'' As this author does not pub- 
lish except when he has something to say, there is gooil reason to anticipate that the 
work will be one of unusual interest and value. His Ibrnier book has met with the 
most signal success in Mth liemispheres, having passed through numerous editionc 
in England and Scotlana, and been translated into four of tfie Kuropeau languHK'i^ 
bceidea It *s also about to Le uanslated into the Uindoostanee tongue. Ciu) 



IILCEXT rUBLICATiOXS. 



THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIAXITY, as exhibited in the writings of 
its f pologists, down to Augustine, by W. J. Bolton, of Gonville and Caiut 
College, Cambridge. 12mo, cloth. 60 cents. 

The essa>- contained in this voluuie received the Hulsean prize <^abont :500) in Eiiglaiid. 
riie author is a professor in Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and evidently a very 
learned student of the patristic writings and the whole circle of ecclesiastical history. He naa 
presented to the world in this essay an admirahle compendium of the arguments for the tnnh 
of Christianity advanced in the works of the Apologetic Fathers during the third, fourth, and 
(Iflh centuries of the Christian era. These arguments are classified as being deduced from 
antecedent probability, from antiquity, from prophecy, from miracles, froui the reasonablenosa 
of doctrine, fi-om superior morality, and from the success of the Gospei. — X F. Commercial. 

This is a work of deep research, and of great value to the theological student — Trafurript. 

We had occasion, some time since, to notice this work, when we expressed n high estimate 
cf its merits. We can only say that, in looking through it a second time, our appreciation of 
both the learning and the ingenuity which it discovers is heightened rather than dhnluished 
We thankftilly accept such an effort as this of a profound and highly-cultivated mlrd — Puri 
tan Recorder. 

The work bears the marks of great research, and must command the attention and confidence 
of the Christian world. — If ercani He Journal. 

THE BETTER LAXD ; or. Thoughts on He-wen. By A. C. Thompsov. 

Pastor of the Eliot Church, Roxburv- 12mo, cloth. $1.00. Just publishi^I. 

THE MISSIOX OF THE CO^IFORTER : with copious Notes. By Julius 
Charles Hare. Xotes translated for the American edition. 12mo, cl. $1.25. 

We hardly remember any treatise which is so well calculated to be useful in general circula- 
tion anions ministers, and the more educated laity, than this, which is rich in spirituality, 
strong and sonnd in theology, comprehensive in thought, vigorous and l)eautiful in imagination, 
and affluent in learning. — Congregatloiwilist. 

We have seldom read a book with greater interest, — X. T. Evangelist. 

The volmne is one of rare value, and will be welcomed as an eloquent and Scriptural exposl. 
tion of some of the fimdamental doctrines of our fiaith. — J>^ei/7 York Recorder. 

THE VICTORY OF FAITH. By Julius Charles Hare, author of " The 
Mission of the Comforter," etc. 12mo, cloth. In press. 

'^IRST LINES OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY. In the form of a Syllabus, 
prepared for the nse of Students, with subsequent Additions and Elucidations. 
By Rev. John Pye Smith. Edited from the author's manuscript , with 
Additional Notes and References, etc. 1 toI. Royal octavo. $5.00 

/v^ A most important work for ministers and theological students. 

UIE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, and their relarlons to Christianity. 
By Frederick Dexison Maurice, A. M., Professor of Livinity in King's 
College, London. 16mo, cloth. 60 cents. 

Tlie effort we deem masterly, and, in any event, must prove highly interestii^ by the com 
parisons which it institutes with the false and the true. His investigations into the HinJoc 
and Budhist mythologies will itself repay the reader's trouble. — Methodist Quarterit/. 

GUTDO -AND JULIUS. The Doctrine of Sin and the Propitiator ; or. 
the Trie Consecration of the Doubter. Exhibited in the Correspondence of 
t^r Friends. By Frederis Augustut 0. Tholuch, D. D. Translated from 
tne tierman, by Jonathan Edwards Ryland. With an Introduction by 
Jonx PvE SiiiTH, D. D. IGmo, cloth. tO cents. 

^jf It mi^ht naturally be expected that a work by ar-thors so alsMnguished in the llteraiy and 
religious world would prove one of great Interest anu value. This expectation wffl not be disap 
pointed II is pre-eminently a book for the Uines — full of interest, and of great power. 



^yOIlKS RECEx^^TLY PUBLISHED Ai\D O PRESS 

THE LIFE AND POSTHUMOUS WORKS OF 

THE REV. JOHN HARRIS, D. D. 

Late Principal of New College, London, and formerly Theological Tutor of Cheshunt College. 

Edited by the Bev. PHILIP SMITH, B. A., 

Formerly a colleague of Dr. Harris in Cheshunt and New Colleges. 

This series of the Remains of their late lamented author will contain t!ie 

SERMONS AND CHARGES delivered by him in various parts of the country, during the height 
of liis reputation as a preacher. 

A TREATISE ON NATURAL AND REVEALED RELIGION, exhibiting, in one view, the latest 
rest? Its of his Theological Studies ; and a Fragment, complete in itself, of the work which was in- 
terrupted by his death, on 

THE DiVINE GOVERNMENT OF NATIONS. Besides other Minor Writings and Fragments. 
The works will not extend beyond four elegant royal 12mo volumes. The Memoir will be in one 

volume, uniform with tlie works. The first volume, consisting of Sermons, has just been published, 

and the second volume will shortly be issued. 

The Sermons of Dr. Harris will probably prove to be among his most popular productions. They 
are quite unlike other writings of the same class. Many of them are master-pieces of originality and 
eloquence. Some of them will compare favorably with the most celebrated pieces of pulpit oratory. 
The pulpit was Dr. Harris's favorite theatre of action, and it is well known that he bestowed im- 
mense labor in preparation for it. In consequence, he acquired the highest reputation as a preacher, 
and his services were in constant request on important occasions. Thus it happened that most of 
the Sermons here presented were preached twenty times or more. But impressive as tluy must have 
been when uttered by the living voice, they are scarcely less eo when read from the printed page. 
They stir the soul like strains of martial music. 

THE POOR BOY AND MERCHANT PRINCE; or, Elements of 
Success drawn from the Life and Character op the late Amos Law- 
rence. A Book for Youth. By William M. Thayer, author of '' Tlie Morning 
Star," " Life at the Fireside," etc. etc. 16mo, cloth. 75 cents. 

The publishers feel that the character of this little work warrants them in styling it one of tub 
BEST FiOOKS i"OU BOYS THAT HAS EVER BEEX ISSUED. Its basis is the life and character of Amos 
Lawrexce, and its design is to do for boys what the "Diary and Correspondence" of Lnwri-nce 
is fitted to do for men, young and old. Lawrence is the model man to whom the eye of the boy is 
directed in every chapter, and his sayings and doings, so far as they have a bearing on the subject in 
hand, are produced and commented upon. But Lawrence is not the only character presented; 
numerous anecdotes of other distinguished persons are introduced, all going to show that Lawrence, 
and such men, possessed certain elements of character essential to success, in common. The work 
is thus rendered extremely entertaining, while it is all the while highly instructive. 

HARMONY QUESTIONS on the Eour Gospels, for the use of Sab- 
bath Schools. By Rev. S. B. Swain, D. D. Vol. L 18mo. 12^ cts. 
This is the first of a new series of Question Books, which will be completed in throe volumes. 
The plan differs from all others in this, that it is based upon a iiaumonv of the pospols. InRtond of 
taking one of tlie gospels, — that of Mathew, for instance, — and going through with it. the author 
takes from all of the gospels those parts relating to the same event, and brings them toprtluT in t!i.- 
same Lesson. In this way the pupil gets a view of events in the order of timk, und also n viiu . 
at one glance, of all the coniucted circiunstances. The questions are so framed na to ovuitl two ex- 
tremes ; that of multiplying difficulties on the one hand, ond that of making everything en»y on the 
other. But few of the questions can be answered by yes or no. A I'KACtual bearing is given to 
the subject of every lesson. 

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE PvO^IANS. AVitli Xoti s, cliiclly 
Explanatory. Designed for Teachers in Sabbutli Schools and lUhle Classes, n ml 
as an Aid to Family Instruction. By IIeniiy J. Kiplky, Trof in Ntwton Tlico- 
loijical lust. 12mo, cloth, 67 eta. Just published. i i i ) 



PROGRESS OF BAPTIST PRINCIPLES 

IN THE 

LAST HUNDRED YEARS. 

BY THOMAS F. CURTIS, 

PBOFESSOR OF THEOLOGY IN THE UNIVEnSITY OF LEWISBUSO, PA. 

12mo. Cloth. 81.25. 
GENERAL CONTENTS. 

Part One. Progress of Principles now conceded in Theory by the 

MOST ENLIGHTENED OF OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 

Chapter 1. Opening remarks. 2. Freedom of Conscience, and Separation of Church and State. 
8. A converted church membership. 4. Sacraments inoperative without choice and faith. 5. Be_ 
lie vers the onlj' Scriptural subjects of Baptism of the New Testament. 6. Immersion always the 
Baptism of the New Testament. 

Part Two. Progress of Principles still controverted. 

Chapter 1. The command to Baptize, a command to Immerse. 2. The importance of Believers. 
Baptism. 3. Infant Baptism injurious — its modern defences considered. 4. Open Communion 
unwise and injurious. 

Part Three. Progress op Principles always held by Evangelical 
Christians, but more consistently by Baptists. 

Chaptrr 1. The SufRciency of the Holy Scriptures. 2. Salvation by grace alone. 3. The essen- 
tial priesthood of all Christians. 4. Connection of Baptist Principles and PoUtical Liberty. 5. Sum- 
mary of the foregoing work. 

In the course of the work the author reviews the opinions of many distinguished men, as Roger 
"Williams, Wesley, Nevin, Coleridge, Neander, Bunsen, Augustine, Origen, Cyprian, Authon, Pond, 
Stuart, Bushnell, Robert Hall, &c. 

The work has already rapidly passed through several editions^ and has received the 
emphatic approval of many of the most distinguished clergymen and scholars in the 
country. Among the numerous testimonials to its value which have been received are the 
following 

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. 

Henry J. Ripley^ D. D., Frof Newton Theol. Inst. 

The work bears ample testimony to its author's extensive reading and accurate reflection : it 
cannot fail to awaken in a reader much serious and profitable consideration, and will abundantly 
repay the time and attention which it occupies. Even should a reader hesitate to adopt the author's 
views, he cannot but admire his spirit. It is gratifying to see so much evidence of growing agreement 
among Christians, and to meet with a book so well illustrating the candor and the independence 
which should mark, as well as guide, the progress of Christian principles. 

J. Newton Broivn^ D. D., Philadelphia. 

It is one of those first-rate books, which it is of great importance to keep constantly before the 
public. Its principles are sound. Its facts will repay perusal. Its spirit is lovely ; its style lucid 
and attractive ; its images full of the purest Hght and beauty. Some of its argumentative illustrations 
appear to me to possess original and irresistible force. Indeed I have seldom read a book with more 
pleasure. It is full of the seeds of things. 

George C. Baldwin, D. D., Troy, NY. 
1 religiously feel two desires. One is, that it may find its way into every Baptist family on the con- 
tinent; for it will greatly strengthen their faith and confirm their hope. The other is, that all candid 
inquirers after truth, in the directions it discusses, will give it a fair consideration; for it will assur- 
edly, by the kindness of its tone, the reliableness of its facts, the scope of its arguments, and its 
manly ability, aid them in finding " the right way of the Lord." (f f ^. 



PROGRESS OF BAPTIST PRINCIPLES. 

A. C. Kendrick^ D. D., Prof. Rochester Universitij, N. Y. 

It is a book of genuine and solid merit. It is a clear, scholarly, and candid statement of the leading 
distinctive principles of our denomination, with their grounds and their progress. It is pervaded 
also by an excellent spirt. The author has done the church a service in preparing the work, and 
you in publishing it. 

Francis Wayland, D. D. Providence, R. I. 

If any one desires to see this whole subject treated with great fullness of research, and with singular 
fairness and ability, I would refer him to Professor Curtis's work on the " Progress of Baptist Prin- 
ciples." 

Pharcellus Church, D. D., New York. 

I have found it logical in arrangement, lucid in statement, forcible in argumentation, catholic in 
spirit, and triumphant in its vindication of indiyiduahsm, that cardinal idea of Baptists in the 
formation of civil and ecclesiastical society, the personal and voluntary character of all preparation 
for Christian ordinances and privileges, and altogether a faithful sketch of the wonderful progress 
of those principles in modifying Christian life and conviction, and in founding the institutions of 
Church and State, for the past hundred years. A subject more instructive could not have been se- 
lected, none more cardinal to our common Christianity none better fitted to explode false dogmatisms, 
and pernicious ecclesiasticisms ; and it is commendation enough of the book that its treatment of it 
is equal to the transcendant theme. 

Horatio B. Hackett, D. D., Prof, in Newton Theol. Inst. 
I regard the work of Prof. Curtis as a well written, well digested, and reliable treatise. I would 
sooner place it in the hands of any one wishing to understand the principles of the Baptists, or to 
defend them, than any work that I know of. 

Baron Stow, D. D., Boston. 

It supplies a want in our Christian literature, and does it in a form and a spirit of which no Baptist 
can be ashamed. While it embodies a large amount of information, evidently the product of thor- 
ough, discriminating research, its style is distinguished for purity, clearness and vigor. It is every 
way creditable to the author, and to the denomination whose principles he candidly and courteously 
developes. 

Rev. Henry C. Fish, Newark, N. J. 

I have greeted no work of recent date with a warmer welcome than that of Professor Curtis. That 
It fills a place not before filled, and meets a real want in the literature of our country, and especially 
of our denomination, no one can doubt. Could I reach the ear of every Baptist minister and lay- 
member in the land, I would say, " Buy the Progress of Baptist Principles, and read it, and 
lend it to your neighbor; it will deepen the conviction of the truthfulness and immcnce importance 
of the sentiments which you hold; and while it will cherish no unkind or uncharitable feelings 
towards any other denomination, it will make you more fi.rmly and intelligently attached to your own. 

Rev. George W. Samson, Washington. D. C. 

This treatise is the completest ever published; and its brevity united with its completeness makes 

it a book " for the people " in this reading age. It would be diffiult to conceive a more perfect Jumd- 

book of history and criticism upon those points increasing in interest, not only among Baptists, but 

among other Christian denominations, than this work. 

Prof. Milo P. Jewett, author of'-'- Mode and Subjects of Baptism. ■"> 
I have read it with great attention and with deep interest, liucid in arrangement, simple and per- 
spicuous in style, cogent in argument, redolent of heavenly charity in spirit, it contains mi'ltcm i.v 
PARVO, the quintessence of all that has been said on the Baptismal controversy, from Apostolic tlinos 
to the present day. It needs only to be known to be obtained by all our ministers, and by innnv 
intelligent private members of our churches. Indeed, I know of no book, more suggestive, none 
more instructive, to the mind of any serious, intelligent Pedobaptist. 
Adam Wilson, D. D., Paris, Me. 
I know of no other book that contains so many statistics on the subject. The book i>» writtou m 
an excellent spirit, and I do not see why it would not be ntcrcsting to all lovers of historical truth, 
whatever may be their religious sentiments. 

M. B. Anderson, D. D., LL.D., Pres. Knrhcstrr Unirfrsliif. 
It is learned, clear and candid, and while it will be indispensable to the library «)f the intrllif;.nt 
Baptist, it will be found of hardly less value to Christians of other dcuoniinations who do^in- tn fonn 
clear views of the internal and external organization of the church, and the pointn at Issue iH'twccn 
the supporters of different theories on this subject. y\fl a vindication .>f the chaiactorun.l principUs 
of the Baptists, and a proof of the extent to which they hav« nfVcctcd the thiukiuR iin.l nctiuR i.f tho 
Christian world, it is particularly able, and must coutiuue to have a stundurd and i>crmancnt vnluo. 



N E W W O R K S 

THE TEACHER'S LAST LESSON. A Memoir of Martha WmnifO, latt 

of the Charlestown Female Seminary, consisting chiefly of Extracts from hei 

Journal, interspersed with Reminisences and Suggestive Reflections. By 

Catharine N. Badger, an Associate Teacher. With a Portrait, and an 

Engraving of the Seminary. 12mo. Cloth. $1.00. Second Edition. 

The subject of this Memoir was, for a quarter of a century, at the head of one ol 

the most celebrated Female Seminaries in the country. During that period she 

educated more than three thousand young ladies. She was a kindred spirit to Mary 

Lyon, the celebrated founder of Mount Holyoke Seminary, with whom, for strength 

of character, eminent piety, devotion to her calling, and extraordinary succeai 

therein, she well deserves to be ranked. 

MY I^IOTHER: or Recollections of Maternal Influence. By a New England 

Clergyman. 12mo. Cloth. 75 Cents. 

This is a new and enlarged edition of a work that was first published in 1849. It 
passed rapidly through three editions, when the sale was arrested by the embarrass- 
ment of the publisher. The author has now revised it, and added another chapter, 
60 that it comes before the public with the essential claims of a new work. . . . 
It is the picture of a quiet New England family, so drawn and colored as to subserve 
Uie ends of domestic education. The central figure is the author's mother, around 
whom are grouped the various members of the family. Biographical sketches and 
lessons of practical wisdom are so intermingled, that while the former relieve the 

latter, these in turn give force and significance to the sketches The 

author has already distinguished himself in various walks of literature, but from 
motives of delicacy towards the still surviving characters of the book, he chooses for 

the present to conceal his name A writer of wide celebrity says of the 

book, in a note to the publisher — " It is one of those rare pictures, painted from life, 
with the exquisite skill of one of the old masters ^^YAch. so seldom present themselves 
to the amateur." 

THE I:MITATI0N of CHRIST. By Thomas A'Kempis. With an 
Introductory Essay, by Dr. Chalmers. Edited by Howard Malcolm, D. D. 
A Neav Edition, with a Life of Thomas A'Kempis. By Dr. C. Ullman, author 
of " Reformers before the Reformation." 12mo, cloth. 85 cents. 
%* This work has, for three hundred years, been esteemed one of the best prac- 
tical books in existence, and has gone through a vast number of editions, not only in 
the original Latin, but in every language of Europe. 

This may safely be pronounced the best Protestant edition extant. It is re- 
printed from Payne's edition, collated with an ancient Latin copy. The peculiar 
feature of this new edition is the improved page, the elegant, large, clear type, and 
the Neav Life of A'Kempis, by Ullmann. Born nearly five hundred years ago, 
Tliomas A'Kempis is almost unknown. While the Memoir prefixed to former Amer- 
ican editions, and purporting to give all the facts, is contained in a few paragraphs, 
this life extends to more than fifty pages. 

Dr. Payson, in conversing with a young minister, once said, " If you have not seen 
' Thomas AU<:e7npis,^ 1 beg you to procure it. For spirituality and weanedness from 
the world, I know of nothing equal to it.'''' 

EXCLUSIYENESS OF THE BAPTISTS. A Keview of the Rev. 
Albert Barnes' Pamphlet on " Exclusivism." By Henry J. Ripley, Newton Theo- 
logical Institution. 12mo, printed cover, 13 cents. 

A thorough, candid, yet searching Review of Dr. Barnes' unfounded charges against the 
Baptists. It contains much important information on controverted subjects between Bap- 
tists and Pe do-Baptists, especially that usually termed " Close Communion." No better 
work can be placed in the hands of any one desiring light on this subject. The manner 
of treatment, the size, and the price, all render it admirably adapted to general circulation. 

(o) 



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